Both owls and hawks are birds of prey; owls are nocturnal birds of prey, and hawks are diurnal birds of prey. But the question is: how can owls and hawks coexist?
We see owls and hawks living in the same area around our area. These two birds have roughly the same prey list, so they have to face each other to focus on prey.
These two species are known for their hunting skills. However, two species of raptors have different hunting and sleeping times, so let’s explore how owls and hawks can coexist.
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How can owls and hawks coexist?
The coexistence of owls and hawks means that they can live in the same area, but if you think that these species of birds can live together in one nest, then you are wrong.
Most species of owls do not build their nests and need their nests during the breeding season for laying eggs, hatching, and raising babies.
Owls may be seen using abandoned nests by some birds, such as hawks, during their breeding season, so owls and hawks may live in the same area but not in the same nest.
Do hawks and owls get along?
Because owls and hawks have completely different hunting times, they usually don’t get along. But sometimes hawks and owls can be seen facing each other when hunting at dusk.
Both are skilled birds of prey, so owls and hawks prefer to avoid both. However, many times, owls have been seen snatching prey from hawks.
In particular, when the amount of prey in an area decreases, they avoid their specific hunting time and hunt for longer periods, and the two have been observed to encounter each other just then.
Because owls are larger than hawks, owls have been seen attacking hawks, but this is rarely witnessed.
Can an owl kill a hawk?
Owls’ diet consists of small birds and insects, along with small mammals. Most species of owls do not have hawks in their diet, but some larger species of owls may kill and eat hawks when their food is scarce.
Great-horned owls are primarily known for killing red-tailed hawks; if they think they will only hunt and eat the hawk, they can.
The Eurasian eagle owl is a species of owl in the great-horned owl family that is also known to kill hawks.
But hunting a hawk is not at all easy for owls because their ability to judge the environment is very sharp, and they are very agile.
Are hawks scared of owls?
Not all species of owls attack hawks or eat them. Several large species of owls attack hawks when they sense a lack of prey.
But usually, owls or hawks do not attack each other. Both of them have completely different hunting periods.
Several species of owls hunt during the day, which is why owls sometimes hunt hawks, but this is very rare.
It would not be reasonable to say that hawks are afraid of owls because hawks are one of the most efficient hunters of the day and are very aggressive.
When the owls come to hunt a hawk, the hawks are ready to fight them. Predators therefore refrain from attacking each other unless they are short of food.
What do owls and hawks have in common?
Being raptors like owls and hawks, they have several similarities, as follows:
1. Being birds of prey, both have sharp beaks and sharp talons that are enough to kill prey.
2. Both species of birds have keen eyesight, but owls can see better in low light at night and hawks can see better during the day.
3. Several species of owls and hawks have similar feather colors and textures, so many people mistake their feathers for identification.
4. As both birds are predators, they are often aggressive, which is considered a part of their way of life.
5. Almost the same type of animal can be found in the diet of both birds.
6. Owls and hawks are known to attack their prey in silent flight due to the structure of their feathers.
What keeps owls and hawks away?
Both owl and hawk species play an important role in controlling small animals such as rodents in our environment, which is why it is best not to remove them from our environment.
Since both species prey on several pets, such as birds or rabbits, we are always looking for ways to remove them from our homes.
However, if you want to, you can keep them away without harming them by adopting several strategies:
- They can’t tolerate too much sound or noise, so you can control them by clapping or using a noise maker.
- The reflection of a shiny object can scare away owls or hawks, which will help keep them away from your home.
- You can put netting around your house to prevent them from entering.
- Owls and hawks will not visit your home unless there is a suitable nesting area around your house.
- If there is no suitable place for their prey or nest barrier near your house, no owl or hawk will come.
FAQs
Q. Do owls attack hawks?
Ans: Yes, when owls are short of prey, they sometimes hunt hawks and eat them.
Q. Why are hawks scared of owls?
Ans: hawks fear larger animals if they see that larger animal attacking them. Since several large species of owls attack hawks, it is natural for hawks to fear them.
