Hawks At Your Bird Feeder? Here's a Few Fixes
Last updated August 9, 2025
They hunt by perching in nearby trees or gliding high overhead, scanning for movement below.
You might not even see them, but if your feeders suddenly go quiet, that's often a sign a predator is close by.
Why Your Yard Went Silent
Sometimes it throws you for a loop. You look outside at your feeders and you see no birds.
One day you're seeing finches and cardinals nonstop, and the next it's still. Often a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk is watching from a tree or rooftop.
Your feeder birds haven't vanished; they're tucked out of sight until the danger passes.
The big question becomes, What can you do to get your birds back.
Steps That Actually Help
First Things First: It's illegal to harm raptors, hawks are protected by federal law.
The goal isn't to chase them off permanently, it's to make your yard harder to hunt while keeping it welcoming for songbirds.
Pause feeding for a few days
Take down your feeders for a few days. The hawks will look elsewhere for food.
Your feeder birds will leave to find food, but they'll soon return once you fill your feeders again.
The hawk will have to find a new hunting area giving your birds a safer place to feed.
Add cover near the feeding area
Where you place your bird feeders is important. Wide open spaces offer easy access to hawks.
Brushy areas with tall or low-to-the-ground bushes can give birds a place to hide until the danger passes.
If yours is a case where there isn't any natural cover, you can build a brush pile of trimmings from other plants.
Pick up discarded Christmas trees and place them around your feeders. They will last all winter long and you can discard them in spring.
Use protective feeder designs
Consider purchasing bird feeders with wire cages that allow songbirds in but keep the hawks out.
These types of feeders will keep the birds from being picked off without warning. There are many types available at a reasonable cost.
Try to purchase the one that has the largest circumference.
I've found they visited the smaller caged feeders less, and in spring, the larger birds can reach in and empty them in a short time.
Accept a little predation as part of nature
Lastly, accept that some of your feeder birds are going to get caught. I know it's difficult.
That's just the way it is. Birds of prey remove weaker birds and help keep disease from spreading.
They also keep rodent numbers in check. Overall, more birds benefit from your feeding than are lost to raptors.
Having hawks around your feeders doesn't have to ruin your enjoyment of watching and feeding birds.
Bottom Line
Don't give up feeding. With a short pause, better cover, and a protective feeder or two, you can keep enjoying your backyard birds, even when a hawk swings through.
Happy Birding!
Gene Planker is the creator of Wild-Bird-Watching.com, where he shares over 50 years of backyard birding experience. His guides help readers understand the nesting, feeding, and behavior of backyard birds.
Caged Bird Feeder Affiliate Link.
You Might Also Like Reading About The: Cooper's Hawk Habits
|
|
|
|
| Readers Digest Guide | Golden Guide | Your State Only | Nat-Geo Guide |
Fledging is happening Now! Keep cats indoors and stay with your dogs when outside.
Fledgling birds may be on the ground. The adults continue caring for their young for a week or two after they leave the nest.
"What an awesome website. My little one and I enjoy playing the different bird calls and watching some of the videos — thank you!"
– Linda B., Illinois