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Neighbour has a Harris Hawk, worried about my rabbits

Aliswan

Aliswan

Warren Scout
I noticed a bell ringing in one of a gardens out the back of mine, when I looked out the back window I saw a harris hawk flying between the fences of the terraced houses back gardens. My rabbits had been out free ranging so I quickly bundled them in incase there was any risk. The man who owns it is keeping it in a shed in the backgarden that used to have pigeons in. I've searched online for advice e.g. are they a threat? Are they legal? Can they be flown without a tether?

Can anyone offer me any advice?

Thanks
 
Very much a threat, a quick google shows that they hunt rabbits.

Please do not let your rabbits free-range in an unsecured run from now on, i'd hate for a horrible thing to happen.

Re the legality im just not sure.
 
Thanks,
I couldn't face seeing pictures if I googled harris hawk hunting rabbits. I kept my searches looking at domestic kept hawks but didn't find much, possibly suggesting they aren't supposed to be kept?
 
I'm sure they are legal, you might need a license you never used to have to have one I'm unsure now, they hunt small animals and are used for hunting too :(
 
A quick google and they're legal, but you have to have a licence and legal access to countryside (they're prolific hunters of small birds and mammals).

I'd be terrified if anyone got one near me, we seen one in a display and my god are they fast!?!?! Surely the council or whatever wouldnt allow a person in a built up neighbourhood to have one!?!?!

Very scary!!
 
I'm afraid free range time is now over for your rabbits UNLESS you speak to your neighbour and organise a schedual between you both. His harris hawk will need to be shut away and locked in the whole time the rabbits are out. As far as I know they're allowed to be kept in heavily housed areas but will need to be flown out regularly :wave:
 
Georgeypudding said:
I'm afraid free range time is now over for your rabbits UNLESS you speak to your neighbour and organise a schedual between you both. His harris hawk will need to be shut away and locked in the whole time the rabbits are out. As far as I know they're allowed to be kept in heavily housed areas but will need to be flown out regularly :wave:
Click to expand...

I agree with this, if you can manage to sort out a schedule between your rabbits being free range and his hawk being flown, there could still be a happy outcome for both of you.:wave:
 
I would def only allow my buns to be in a secure run from now on.

My dads friend owned something similar and used to allow it to fly between fences and perches in his back garden every now and then so I think it is allowed. But I wouldn't feel ok having one next door.
 
i think they have to have a license a neighbour a few doors down had one in shed few years back and saw him flying it , so i reported it to council to look into if they had a license ever since then i think they don;t have it no more
 
I plan on owning hawks, falcons and owls :D I would never hunt though, even the thought that they might catch an animal while I'm free flying them is an awful thought...

It's perfectly legal in the UK I know, you just need a simple license. it's much more complicated over here sadly, though only with native raptors, non-native raptors here don't need a license or anything.
 
Another 'toy' pet I'm sure, more pokemon collectors keeping animals just because they can. Another good reason why no rabbits should ever be out unsupervised.
 
Stator said:
Another 'toy' pet I'm sure, more pokemon collectors keeping animals just because they can. Another good reason why no rabbits should ever be out unsupervised.
Click to expand...

:lol: Uh no, I love Pokemon and I love animals and I'm able to see the difference between the two. Funny how raptors have been kept for thousands of years and you have a problem with them as pets:roll: Do you have also have a problem with cats, dogs, ferrets being kept as pets? what about hamsters, who have been kept for only what.. 50ish years?
 
mini lop1 said:
i think they have to have a license a neighbour a few doors down had one in shed few years back and saw him flying it , so i reported it to council to look into if they had a license ever since then i think they don;t have it no more
Click to expand...

I would do this - report it to the council.
 
A lot of hunting packs are now hunting with a bird rather than hounds. Also I believe that they are often used to keep birds away from crops and possibly rubbish tips too. Still very much a useful working bird
 
I'm about to pop round to have a word with the owner and see if we can come to an arrangement about exercising our pets safely. In all honesty I don't think the bird will be around long if his track record is anything to go by, his dog stayed about a year, pigeons about 6 months so it will be interesting to see how long this poor bird sticks around.

Fingers crossed he is polite enough to discuss my concerns with me!
 
If he knew you had rabbits, then he should've warned you! You're lucky you spotted it first. Might be a good idea to contact the council, some people will see an ad in the paper about birds of prey being sold, but don't do the research.
 
William said:
I plan on owning hawks, falcons and owls :D I would never hunt though, even the thought that they might catch an animal while I'm free flying them is an awful thought...

It's perfectly legal in the UK I know, you just need a simple license. it's much more complicated over here sadly, though only with native raptors, non-native raptors here don't need a license or anything.
Click to expand...

umm its a bird? If it wants to kill something it's going to and you don't have a choice :lol:

I wonder why non native birds don't need a license, I'd have thought they'd need something to stop them being imported illegally?
 
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