[Sassy]

Mine freeze when there are buzzards or a red kite around and then go and hide. I would only worry if I had chicks out. When I did have chicks I had them in an enclosed run.

[hillfooter]

i'm not sure of buzzards but next door had an adult 5kg rabbit taken from their garden by a sparrowhawk last year- she saw it happening from the kitchen but by the time she got to the door it had carried it off.

i have also had the pair in my garden after bringing down wood pigeons mid flight.

best to be cautious me thinks.

Whow! that must have been a Sparrow Hawk on steroids then as they usually don't take birds much bigger than a pigeon.  A S H is not a large bird and not much different than a crow sizewise.

They often hunt along the fringes of hedgerows and woods and use surprise to catch small birds and sometimes pigeons.
HF

[shetan]

i know that the birds in my garden were def. sparrow hawks.

the lady next door might have been mistaken...we have people further down the road who had a breeding pair of harris hawks - might have been what took the rabbit.

they had to get rid of them in the end - something about a yorkshire terrior nearly becoming dinner for one of the birds whilst loose on the park across the road. apparently they kicked up such a fuss.... have to say that i'm with the dog owner here.....

[ex-cavator]

i know that the birds in my garden were def. sparrow hawks.

the lady next door might have been mistaken...we have people further down the road who had a breeding pair of harris hawks - might have been what took the rabbit.

they had to get rid of them in the end - something about a yorkshire terrior nearly becoming dinner for one of the birds whilst loose on the park across the road. apparently they kicked up such a fuss.... have to say that i'm with the dog owner here.....

I'd say that was a definite. Though buzzards & red kites COULD undoubtedly carry a chicken off, they'd have to be pretty desperate to do so. Apart from an eagle (pretty unlikely) there's not really any other British raptor that could do so. But a Harris Hawk most certainly could. And if there's one about ....