Why would a hawk come after me?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

A hawk appeared at the park here in the city, El Segundo Ca, Idk if it is an adolescent or a small female. I walk my 60-pound black lab pointer mix daily at this park. Del Aire Park. It has many various large trees. The park is a fenced in square and I let my dog run off leash down one side to the back and all the way across the back to the other side because it's fenced in and he listens. As he was picking a spot to poop a hawk swooped down and arched it's wings and lowered its feet. Growing up in Santa Monica Ca, I haven't had much experience with raptors. So I yelled hey get away from my dog and clapped which made it land on the fence not far away at all, just on the fence over us and I said you go on and waved my arms and made noise with the keys and leash. It left but 50 feet down the way my dog went to poop right next to me when the hawk returned and it seemed like the bird was deciding which one of us to land on and I used the leash like a lasso because of how close it was getting, yelling at it and my dog didn't see the thing I guess because he started playing chase with me. I'm very scared now and I leash my dog and locate this thing in the tree. Let the dog know he won't be pooping here today and we walk the 150 feet back to the front of the park and just before we get to the playground I turn around for the 10th time to see the hawk going for me, again I yell and wave and scare it away. Others are near us now and to many shade structures for it to get us now. Did I intrude on a mother who was nesting, or a rabid bird. Or just a hungry bird? Is it moving in or just migrating? Thank you so much.

Looking back I noticed no crows or squirrels which is normal plus there's a family of strays living in the bottom of the big 5 which creates on of the walls of the park that weren't out but looking through the grate they live in at my dog. I didn't go to the park yesterday so it must have come then.

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Comments (5)

Kathy Yata
8 years ago
How strange!

When I've been chased from a nesting area either the bird dives at me or tries to lead me away. I've stood below a bald eagle's nest and just got glowered at. Raptors nest high up, you couldn't have been close enough to grab an egg or baby out of the nest.

Pretty sure the bird didn't have rabies.

Escaped pet hawk? It doesn't sound like it was diving at you but trying to land. I believe falconers swing a lure around to attract the bird.

If you continue to see the bird perhaps contact a falconry group to see if anybody has lost a bird?
Danny Birchall
Original Author
8 years ago
Oh maybe? Thank you for that. Do they try and land on you from behind. It seemed like it was trying fight. I don't know anything about birds of prey but it seemed it was after my dog and then me for scaring it off. It kept coming out of nowhere. Maybe his owner has a dog and is very handsome or something. :)
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ellaboobella
8 years ago
If a hawk is 'coming after you' then you've ventured WAY too close to their nest and/or nest tree. Heed their warnings and steer clear of their nesting area. In a little less than 2 weeks the fledglings will have flown and the hawks won't care where you walk or where you go. I actually have a video of a hawk perched on one of our bird baths in our yard. I was 10-12 feet away from it and just arrived home when it flew into the yard hunting birds. It didn't care that I was there and tucked one foot and got comfortable. Hawks ONLY care about humans when they're nesting and have young that haven't fledged, and also when humans are attacking them or frightening them (putting them on defense).

Hawklets fledge quickly, so give it time when this happens and make a wide berth away from their nest and nest tree. When hawks are 'dive bombing' you... they're protecting their young and see you as a predator... which you are. Plain and simple they know we're at the top of the food chain and are doing their parental duty and protecting their babies.

Also, hawks aren't the only ones who do this. Bluejays, mockingbirds, crows (crows and mockingbirds learn faces, so if you harm, scare or challenge them, or kill one of their own... they will NOT EVER forget what you did, nor will they forget your face). There's a documentary you can watch to see the studies done and see video of how they recognize faces and their reactions.

"All monsters are human." Not only a true statement but it's one all wildlife knows.
ellaboobella
8 years ago
Kathy Yata It doesn't matter if one is up high enough to grab the hawk's young, they will always defend their nest no matter what. And there's no such thing as a 'pet hawk.' Hawks are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Act, and a wild animal is a wild animal... meaning... even a bird of prey raised for falconry etc will not accept anyone but their handler(s) and will bite and/or attack a stranger.

And no, birds don't get rabies.
Pea
8 years ago
There is a building in my town that has a sidewalk running infront of it. There is a sign that warn passerbys of swooping hawks as there is a nest in the trees near the walkway. Every year the hawks return and every year people bring their umbrella to walk the pathway so they won't get raked by talons.

Why would a hawk come after me?

Comments (5)

Kathy Yata

Danny Birchall
Original Author

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Why would a hawk come after me?

Comments (5)

Kathy Yata

Danny BirchallOriginal Author

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Danny Birchall
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