Why do hawks eat small birds?

Hawks eat birds, but birders can help their favorite species without harming the food chain - learn to protect backyard birds from hawks. ... read more

A soaring hawk can be majestic to see over the yard, but some of the glamour is lost when birders realize hawks eat birds and may be hunting favorite backyard species. Many birders prefer to protect their backyard birds from hawks rather than contribute to a predator’s meals. read more

Water intake is too little in the hawks’ diet; these birds also eat crabs, voles, small vertebrates, blue jay, American Robin Bird, cuckoos, icterids, woodpeckers, thrushes, pheasants, raptors, hares, prairie dog, short-eared owl, chukar, magpie, horned lark, burrowing owl, crustaceans, beetles, amphibians, monkeys, squamates, American Kestrel, marshes, and bromeliads. read more

Because small birds are a good source of food. That’s the way nature works: every plausible pathway to successful survival and reproduction is exploited. Some hawks (not all) have evolved to exploit that particular pathway. read more

Remove Hawk Food Sources: There are many things birds of prey eat in addition to small birds. Removing additional food sources such as field rodents or large insects will make the hunting ground less attractive, but only use extermination methods that will not harm birds - poisons and glue traps should never be used. read more