# Red Tailed Hawk. Is he a threat?



## saginawhxc (Sep 16, 2016)

Michigan has several native Hawks and they aren't exactly uncommon, but this is one of the big reasons my outdoor enclosures for my Russian and for my sulcata baby are covered in hardware cloth. This morning though after putting my pair of five year old sulcatas out into their pens for the day I caught this Hawk sitting on my fence line watching us. Both torts are about 11 pounds and have shells about 12" long and efore this I figured they were safe, but with this bird directly checking them out I'm suddenly full of doubt. 

Should I consider this a threat? He isn't exactly the biggest Hawk I've seen, but I'm fully aware how deadly these guys are. At what size (if ever) can tortoises be considered safe from hawks like these? What size do raccoons or squirrels quit becoming a major threat?


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## Speedy-1 (Sep 16, 2016)

*Your guys are to big for those hawks to pose a threat ! We have a lot of them out here !*


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## saginawhxc (Sep 16, 2016)

That is what I thought. We have quite a few here too, but the way it played out made me wonder. I have been keeping them inside in at night and after I brought the second one out for the day I turned around to see it sitting on the fence line 15 feet away just watching... I wish I had my phone on me for a picture. 

I know they are way too big for a 3 pound Hawk to fly off with, but if that falcon went on the attack I don't think there would be much the tort could do to defend itself. 

I assumed it really wasnt a huge threay and left them outside and apparently the Falcon moved on.


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## dmmj (Sep 17, 2016)

think about how a hawk catches its prey. Those sharp claws dig into soft flesh and then they fly away with their prey in the claws. I imagine you guys are a little too big to be carried away like that.


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## RosemaryDW (Sep 17, 2016)

Our Russian is about six inches. As she is mostly outdoors, I asked our hep vet about hawks and owls. He doesn't see a threat to her from anything local, red tailed hawks being one of our most common types.

I wouldn't get to close to one in nesting season, however! They are very protective of their young. 

I don't thinks ours will ever be large enough to be safe from a raccoon. We don't have any in the neighborhood--yet. Since they are nocturnal, we are focusing on having her sleeping quarters as secure as possible.


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## saginawhxc (Sep 17, 2016)

I have been playing with the thought of doubling or tripling the Russian enclosure, but if we make that move it will become an uncovered pen. 

I had plans to build a big covered fenced in area that could house a couple of pens for smaller tortoises, but I decided to wait until we get in the new house. No need to build the thing twice.


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## dmmj (Sep 17, 2016)

why don't you get some of those big decorative windmills that I often see in stores it should be enough to distract the Hawks


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## ZEROPILOT (Sep 17, 2016)

I recently spotted an Osprey (supersized Hawk?) With a very large water turtle in its talons while stopped at a red light on my motorcycle.
The turtle was much larger than the birds body.
I have plastic mesh on top of my pen. I read that a sight barrier kept birds of prey from swooping down.


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## wellington (Sep 17, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I recently spotted an Osprey (supersized Hawk?) With a very large water turtle in its talons while stopped at a red light on my motorcycle.
> The turtle was much larger than the birds body.
> I have plastic mesh on top of my pen. I read that a sight barrier kept birds of prey from swooping down.


Michigan has Osprey too. I thought if they, Hawks, Owls, large birds could lift them they would. Fly with the tortoise/turtle and then peck away at the head and legs. I would think a Russian would be easy to fly away with. 
Chicago has the same predator birds as Michigan. So far we have only the peregrine falcons around my house and they are interested in eating other birds.


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## saginawhxc (Sep 17, 2016)

I honestly see falcons, hawks, and squirrels as my biggest day time threat. Being in the city the birds arent too common, but they are there occasionally. We have like a trillion squirrels though. That is why I keep the little guys protected.


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## saginawhxc (Sep 17, 2016)

Despite being in the middle of the city we have had an awful lot of wild life the last few days. This was last night.


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## Pearly (Sep 17, 2016)

saginawhxc said:


> Despite being in the middle of the city we have had an awful lot of wild life the last few days. This was last night.


I have one like that too mine comes inside our garage, little booger is not scared of us at all. My babies spend several daytime hrs outside now and I haven't seen squirrels being much interested in them. I hope it stay that way bcs I love our squirrels. We are in suburbs of the capital of Texas, very fast growing college town that sits on the edge of Texas Hill Country so wildlife here is also very common in developed areas due to pretty strong conservationist and environmentalist lobby here. 
My subdivision wraps around a large public golf course so lots of green belts and wooded areas, creeks around. I too worry about my babies being someone's lunch and on days when no one's home to check on them I don't let them out. 
I know! Paranoia! But better safe than sorry. My torts are 5.75" & 1lb 2oz and the other is 6.75"& 1lb 9.2 oz, so I'd hope that even very hungry or PO'ed squirrel would be able to hurt them?... or am I wrong? Maybe???..


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## saginawhxc (Sep 17, 2016)

I personally have a hard time seeing squirrels as a threat. They sure do love to drive my dogs nuts though.


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## Tom (Sep 17, 2016)

saginawhxc said:


> I personally have a hard time seeing squirrels as a threat. They sure do love to drive my dogs nuts though.



Squirrels will eat a baby tortoise like a hamburger.


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## saginawhxc (Sep 18, 2016)

Just to clarify, I have said that I recognize them as one of the biggest day time threats in my area. I just have a hard time seeing them as such. Both the Russian and my baby sulcata are kept in covered cinder block pens with heavy covers made of 2x4's and hardware cloth.

Now I just need a good dog trainer to tell me how to stop my one dog from jumping up on top of the enclosures. She doesn't appear to be damaging them, but it doesn't seem like it is the best habit for her to be in. 

And since you have joined the thread I will ask you directly. At what size do you start to not consider squirrels and a birds a threat?


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## ZEROPILOT (Sep 18, 2016)

The opossums I've seen don't seem to care about tortoises or anything about them.
I've never bothered with them.


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## Lexitacos (Jul 14, 2021)

saginawhxc said:


> Michigan has several native Hawks and they aren't exactly uncommon, but this is one of the big reasons my outdoor enclosures for my Russian and for my sulcata baby are covered in hardware cloth. This morning though after putting my pair of five year old sulcatas out into their pens for the day I caught this Hawk sitting on my fence line watching us. Both torts are about 11 pounds and have shells about 12" long and efore this I figured they were safe, but with this bird directly checking them out I'm suddenly full of doubt.
> 
> Should I consider this a threat? He isn't exactly the biggest Hawk I've seen, but I'm fully aware how deadly these guys are. At what size (if ever) can tortoises be considered safe from hawks like these? What size do raccoons or squirrels quit becoming a major threat?


I just built my russians outdoor enclosure and put netting around it (i also live in michigan). I'm SO paranoid leaving him out because i know this hawk likes to go near my backyard because of my neighbors chickens.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 14, 2021)

saginawhxc said:


> Despite being in the middle of the city we have had an awful lot of wild life the last few days. This was last night.


Oh man! The dog in that picture is the spittin' image of my Misty!!


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