OT: Large Hawks and cats

[J Miller]

We used to have a few neighborhood kitties that came and went, now they are gone.
Yesterday, my wife saw a large hawk on the phone pole at the back of our place. I'm guessing by what I could see maybe 18" from head to end of tail and as big around as the phone pole. Brown with white.

IMG_0066.JPG

I was wondering just how big of a cat a hawk like that can take.
I have no doubt it could kill the cat on the ground with the talons and beak, but could it carry one off?
I was just wondering if this hawk or it's buddies might be doing in the neighborhood cats.

Joe

[mescalero1]

Joe,
Up here we lose cats to Owls & Eagles.
Never seeen a Hawk do it.

[J Miller]

M1,
I was editing in the pic of the bird as you posted, did you see it? Pretty big bird.

Joe

[mescalero1]

From what I can make of the other objects to calculate size, it looks like a big Hawk to me.

[horsesoldier03]

My guess is a bird that large could probably take just about any domestic cat that it wanted except maybe a large tom. Typically when they swoop down for the attack, they sink their claws in pretty deep. I doubt he could carry a big one off, but should have no problem killing it.

[madman4570]

Joe,

Any kitten or very little cat say up to maybe 2 lbs. or so is fair game to be carried off providing the Hawk is hungry enough.

They accomplish this by their velocity striking the prey.They can break a cat's neck before the cat even know's it's their.They can kill much bigger cat's but will be hard pressed to fly off with them!

Up here we have Big Bald Eagles that can easily kill and fly off with a dog like a small beagle etc.

See ya!

[rangerider7]

Owls and hawks can take cats. I don't see many owls in the daytime but there are 10 times as many hawks around as there use to be. They are protected here in Texas. We can't keep quail on the ranch because of the roadrunners and hawks. We have a few Bald Eagles but many Mexican Eagles. They kill calves and fawns regularly.

[AJMD429]

My aunt had a hawk take a smallish cat.

Although I sort of like cats (mostly as 'indoor' or 'barn' animals) I'd never harm a hawk for preying on one. If it were a 'precious' cat I'd keep it indoors, and if it is a 'barn' cat, I would just figure it is either a careful and alert cat, or not, and let it take its chances.

[Hobie]

If you had seen the video of eagles hunting wolves you'd see that that bird could easily take a cat.

[J Miller]

If you had seen the video of eagles hunting wolves you'd see that that bird could easily take a cat.

Hobie,
I'd love to watch that video, but with my very slow dial up I can't.


Anybody have any idea of what kind of hawk that might be?

Joe

[JerryB]

Joe from the picture and size I would say that could be a Red Tail Hawk, and yes a cat would not be a problem for one that size.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Yes , Looks like a Red Tail Hawk. We have lots of them around here. Some get quite large. They are not fast like some types but they are good hunters.

[Chas.]

As far as cats disappearing, coyotes prey on them as well.

[CEMENTHEAD]

Coyotes take 90% of the cats around here. I tried to tell my neighbors, for years, to keep their pet cats inside for their own safety. They all scoffed at me until last month a 35 lb 'Yote came into a neighbors yard and snatched a 15 lb Tom cat right after the owner let it out the door. 10 FEET from the house, 8AM. Now the neighbors are in hysterics all of a sudden............

I've heard "Why didn't you tell us coyotes live in the woods by our neighborhood?!?" at least 5 times in the past few weeks.............DUH !!!!

Oh well....it must be nice to live oblivious to the world around us.

Thanks, Tom

[Bogie35]

A good friend of mine just had a coyote maul her cat here in Aiken, SC! Savannah River Site is just up the road, and has been a safe haven for coyotes, black bears and even an occasional cougar (or panther or whatever you want to call 'em).

bogie

[msmith1228]

The only good hawk is a dead hawk. Same with coyotes.

Mack

[Doc Hudson]

i wouldn't bet on any normal sized house cat vs raptor. And would not give odds on an outsixed tom.

The biggest wild rabbit I've ever seen, body looked near 2 feet long with the hind legs dangling, and heavy in the body, was clutched in the talons of a large owl flying across a road.

If an owl can fly off with a big cane cutter rabbit, a cat will offer no problems.

[Halfbreed]

I had a large owl swoop down and try to grab my cat when she was about 6 weeks old and playing on my back deck. I saw the owl coming down just as I stepped out onto the deck which made the owl veer away. If I arrived 5 seconds later I would have been catless.

[bcp]

Cats and big birds


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http://www.cafepress.com/threebearscove/666512






More at:
http://www.roybaxter.com/standoff.htm




And another:

[Nixterdemus]

I've seen hawks go for tree rats and carry three foot of snake to a snag for lunch.

They sound similar to a helicopter when toting something larger than a field mouse.

[76/444]

I think most cats are lost to Owls, than anything else. Mostly because they both are nocturnal. At least on my place, it seems to be. And it changes from year to year. Some years my cat population goes up to a dozen or so. Other years, like now, I am down to two. I'm sure the owls will be back once the litter count goes up!

[geobru]

We had a 17 pound tomcat that lived with us in Northern Minnesota for two winters and survived fox and great horned owls that were around all the time. He finally bit it when we moved to Idaho and tangled with the coyotes.

Kind of sad when we lost that cat. He is the only cat I've ever had that came when you called him and responded to a whistle. He acted more like a dog than a cat.

[76/444]

Seems like all the really good critters come to an early demise.

[Ysabel Kid]

My guess is a bird that large could probably take just about any domestic cat that it wanted except maybe a large tom. Typically when they swoop down for the attack, they sink their claws in pretty deep. I doubt he could carry a big one off, but should have no problem killing it.

+1 - a hawk that size would cause a world of hurt to pretty much any domestic cat!

I've seen a lot of small, so-called dogs too that would make a nice snack for a bird that big!

[JReed]

Nice size Red Tail like that will for sure take your average domestic kitty. I saw a red tail take a large running jack rabbit once hit it and lifted it off with little effort.

[mescalero1]

The Birdman has a cat like that,
Spooky is her name,
I do believe that she would fight,
man,
beast,
or alien being,
makes no difference to her.

[redhawk]

Just last week a former co-worker told me of loosing their cats, one at a time, to a large red tail hawk. Can't shoot em though; here in Alabama they are protected.

[Hillbilly]

I'd guess that pole top is around 8-10 inches in diameter. (lineman in real life). That Hawk looks like his girth is pretty stout.

Seen Red tails carry some good sized rabbits... try to haul off young turkeys and a smallish house cat would not be a challenge.

I found a good sized Canada goose a couple of years back at work. He was frozen as it was winter... but from the claw or talon marks he looked like he was a "mid-air" statistic from the local hawks or eagles we had near the power plant.

[WCF3030]

Around here on the river cats and small dogs get snatched off from people’s decks on a regular basis by Hawks and Bald egales.
I would imagine that "Precious" fat on kibble makes for a tasty meal.