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Do domestic bunnies know birds of prey from normal birds?

Boudicca

Boudicca

Warren Veteran
Yesterday afternoon Daisy shot into a box and started thumping like mad for no reason or so I thought! I got up to talk to her and noticed a Sparrow Hawk sitting on the tree outside (not a garden bird in sight!!). Was Daisys thumping pure coincidence or could she still have the knowledge somewhere inside that this bird is danger?
 
I'd say she knows when Danger is about. Their natural prey senses may not be as strong as a wildies, but they are definately still there. If Biccy smells/sees a cat, he immediately goes on alert and will stamp like mad.

This was the result of a cat walking across the back door...



*excuse my voice and silly rediculous questions :lol:*
 
We live about 20miles from an airport on the landing path. When the buns are roaming the garden and a plane comes over they freeze, thump then run for cover. I like to think that is them keeping up their natural instincts for being hunted from the sky.
 
Yes it's mainly due to shapes and behaviour. Predatory birds do have a distinctive shape and way of movement that makes them easily identified to prey animals. I think size is also an issue because mine are scared of sea gulls.
 
Definitely. My two are scared of gliders but not the noisy planes that pull them up. I always think a glider must be more like the silent swoop of a bird of prey. Also they share their garden with sparrows, a robin and often some homeing pigeons and are not in the slightest bit interested in them. Show them a cat though and they freeze and bolt for the hutch if I don't scare it away quicly enough!
 
Sounds like Daisy is a very clever doe. :thumb:

We have had a few thumping sessions recently, usually in reaction to strong gusts of wind, but on one occasion plainly Spenser objecting to my family playing their new CDs on Christams Day. :roll::lol:
 
Yep, you can tell birds of prey, like other predators, from the way they move and act, for lack of a better word it is predatory.

I've never seen my two around them though, but they dont seem to be scared of dogs or cats.
 
MY buns don't usually seem to bothered, butoccasionally they will thump and run for cover, only if they're out loose in garden and I'm always watching them then.

I wanted to get a bird feeder for poor little garden birds but do you think this would make bunnies more scared if I invited small garden birds into the garden??

We mostly get crows / rooks and seagulls over our garden... always slightly nervous, does anyone think a seagull would go for a rabbit?? or a crow would go for a live rabbit instead of its normal dead prey?? MY buns are middle sized, supposed tobe dwarf lops so bigger than wild rabbits.
 
kt6382 said:
MY buns don't usually seem to bothered, butoccasionally they will thump and run for cover, only if they're out loose in garden and I'm always watching them then.

I wanted to get a bird feeder for poor little garden birds but do you think this would make bunnies more scared if I invited small garden birds into the garden??

We mostly get crows / rooks and seagulls over our garden... always slightly nervous, does anyone think a seagull would go for a rabbit?? or a crow would go for a live rabbit instead of its normal dead prey?? MY buns are middle sized, supposed tobe dwarf lops so bigger than wild rabbits.
Click to expand...

Crows, magpies and seagulls have been known to 'taunt' buns or surround them and peck them, they dont kill them or 'hunt' them really but they are still a threat. Just make sure you are supervising carefully at all times.
 
I don't think it was the bird bunnies thump to show you to go away ( no offence) or that there is danger But in the wild most rabbits will stay in burrows and when they hear a bird they run I don't think they look closely at the bird
 
Mind definitely know the shape of a bird of prey or anything that resembles danger. Some light aircraft make them scarper and thump and they disappeared when a sparrowhawk appeared in my garden. They're not bothered by crows or magpies though, although juvenille magpies can be a bit of a pest as they are curious and try to peck the bunnies. I've always fed the garden birds so I wouldn't worry about that inviting birds of prey. You're more likely to invite the local cats!
 
When in the garden in summer mine don't like it when planes go over so I would say yes, they do.
 
its not just whether they 'recognise' the bird of prey - they will actually be picking up on the reactions of all the other birds/animals - so as soon as all the small birds go silent or other mammals freeze then the buns will too. In a way, the more small wildlife [esp birds] you have in your garden the safer it is for the buns. {NB I am making a few exceptions to that 'rule' - inviting in wild rats is NOT a good idea for example . . ]
 
When Bella went outside this summer she was terrified of any kind of bird. Especially the seagulls. But then again she had never been outside before so probably hadn't ever seen a bird.
Boris has spent more time outside than her so he's learnt not to fear the birds. I think he would recognise a bird of prey but can't be sure as luckily he has never encountered one.
 
Mine definitely seem more bothered about threats from above than anything else. Leo rarely bothers when the cat or dog go past, but he freezes when a plane goes over.
 
Mine have never noticed... But we don't get many birds of pray in the area. Certanly not one big enough to take either of my bunnies so maybe they know that :lol:
They're used to the sound of flapping wings anyway though from living in the same room as the cockatiel
 
GrahamL poor Biscuit he was trying so hard to tell Daddy 'der is danger out der, run for yous life...I will protect you' :lol: with double glazing.

I agree that they could pick up on changes in their surroundings like all the garden birds disappearing, but Daisy was inside the dining room with double glazing and so shouldnt have heard anything! It swooped from near the window to the tree so it must have been the flight movement! It is quite amazing after generations of breeding that the prey instinct is still there.
 
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