PREDATORS
"The survival of the fittest"

A very difficult aspect of keeping pigeons is that they are preyed upon by Raptors/Hawks, Weasels, Raccoons, Cats etc. The worst for me have been the raccoons. Where I live the mountains have many.  They will kill every bird they can catch. Eat a couple and leave the rest dead. It's a heart wrenching sight to find a loft of dead birds. I have experienced it a couple of times. Our natural tendency is to eliminate the animal that raided our loft immediately. In doing so we are placing ourselves in a position where we could be breaking the law and if caught a heavy fine could the result. Permits are available and can be obtained by contacting the Wild Life department of your state or province and following the protocol.

Rocky Raccoon may be  cute cartoon character. In real life in a loft of birds it is a killing machine. One night in 2001, 24 birds were lost.  The coon entered the loft through a trap I had forgotten to close. It got in but couldn't get out and was trying to hide in a nest box when I arrived in the morning. Out of anger I killed it on the spot. After I was not happy or proud of what I had done. In reality it was not the raccoon that was at fault. It was my lack of preparation. The mountain where I live has a large population, I have been visited by them before and did not take adequate measures to prevent what happened. Several more have been trapped.  Light tuna is used as bait. Now when I catch one it's given a ride deep in the mountains where there are no pigeon lofts for 50 miles and released.
The picture is of  a sort tail weasel. Brown and white in the summer and white with a black tip on it's tail in the winter.  Members of the weasel family will also kill as many as they can at a time. Many are small and can enter through any space it can get it's head through.  That can be as small as 1-1/2" round or square. Once in the loft it will kill every bird it can catch by decapitation.
 
 



 Cooper Hawk                 Goshawk

Raptors i.e. hawks, falcons, eagles, owls, do not kill in mass as raccoons and weasels. They  take one at a time but will return almost daily for lunch as long as they are in the area. They can only be trapped with a permit. It can be obtained and should be in hand before attempting to trap them. Without the permit you can face hefty fines.  For one design of a trap for  go to this page. Also visit my loft picture page where you will see the use of convex mirrors and a plastic owl that help to distract transit hawks. Cooper and goshawks are our annual visitors as they migrate north in April and May. Then again on their return trip south late August and September. It's rare to have a hawk stay the winter but it did happen in 2001 and 2002. Before it was caught more than 20 birds were lost.

March of 2003 a red strobe light was installed on the loft to assist the youngbirds locate the loft which is surronded by trees. A bonus seems to be that hawks avoid the loft with the light running. Not a bird has been lost to hawks during the annual migration. Other members of our club have lost birds so I beleive the light had an effect. To see the light set up click here.
 

I've been told that this also helps distract hawks. Made from a couple old CDs mounted on a wooden "T" it is attached to the loft facing the sky. The theory is that raptors see them as large eyes and will stay high in the sky and not dive at the birds on the loft.  The fanciers I know that have tried them report that they are effective and do help. Anything is worth a try so this spring they will be made and on the loft.
 
 



Cats will take a bird and run. Wild cats are the most concern as they have their claws. Most house cats have been declawed and without them can not hold on to a bird. If a wild cat becomes a problem contact your local SPCA who will help you capture the cat. If  its neighbors cat please remember that it is a pet and no doubt as valued to it's owner as your birds are for you. Try  talking with the owner. Most people are reasonable and if approached in a reasonable manner will do their best to accommodate you.

Recommendations

1. Please do not make the mistake of capturing any wild animal without fist contacting the wild life department of your area. You will find they  are willing to help you solve the problem within the law.
Have the phone number at hand in advance of  a problem. Do you home work and know where to go and who to speak to.

2. Please do not try to eliminate the problem with a poison. At one chat group I visited someone suggested using antifreeze to poison cats. I have experience with antifreeze when my two dogs drank some from a pan as my neighbor was working on his car. The older dog, a beautiful sable collie died an antagonizing death. Her pup survived with the help of the veterinary.  Let reason prevail and seek the help of the  animal owner. the local wild life organization or the SPCA.

3. Study your loft and it's location. Being sure that every possible entrance for an animal is covered.  Any tree or other object that can be used as a ladder to gain access to the loft should be removed.

4. Never underestimate the intelligence of  predator. I have and paid for that mistake.

With thought.  consideration of others, the laws where you live,  you can protect your birds, not to have to worry about getting caught at doing something illegal and possible face hefty fines, gain the respect of your neighbors and promote the sport that is your passion.