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Originally Posted by MandiesMom  I was told by some bird experts that birds can see color and orange stands out. So, I inverted a pumpkin/costume/vest and wrote Mandie's name on it in shiny glitter glue and I glued a couple of the reflective strips to it. You can see pics of it in another thread. Here is the link to that post with my pics: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/4157407-post36.html
Now, I did a lot of research and we have a Raptor Center here at Auburn University. I watched some videos and I learned that a raptor bird can NOT pick up anything over 1/2 it's own weight. Hawks weigh around 3 to 4 lbs and Owls weigh 5 or 6 lbs.
With that said, they will do what they need to do when hungry and desparate. They will slam their talons (sharp and deadly all by themselves) into the back/spine of a prey they have targeted. They may even TRY to pick it up and get a little off the ground before dropping it if it's too heavy.
Technically, they don't drop the prey on purpose to kill it. They are trying to take off with it but it's too heavy and they can't. However, the force of slamming into a small animal's spine is deadly in and of itself. It can break the back. The talons are long and sharp and puncture the body...wounding the prey badly or killing it if punctured in the right spot. Finally, trying to fly off but dropping it to the ground can finish everything off.
So, while a hawk or even an owl can't physically fly off with my 6 1/2 lb Yorkie (or even my 4 lb Yorkie when she was younger), they can and will if hungry enough kill my Yorkie. All it takes is the above mentioned. Then, they just eat where the prey falls if they are allowed to do so.
Bottom line, in desperation, any wild animal is dangerous and we should always be vigilant. Living scared (which I did for a few months) is useless and not good for the dog who loves to be outside. But you can live smart.
As for reflective strips on the harness, I really don't take Mandie for walks. We have such a large yard, I just let her run with her brother out there. BUT, thought I'd end on a slightly humerous note: My mother suggested (when I was trying to come up with the right thing to deter the birds) the following:
Couldn't you just get several helium balloons and tie them to her harness?  |
Haha! I was thinking the same as your Mom... with like the reflective Bday balloons... too funny. If you tie enough of them on, it would be good to avoid large dogs too. Take your Yorkie for a fly instead!
Well, I spent almost an entire day on a raptor forum... you think these threads on YT get hot...lol. I do appreciate your research, but I prefer to err on the side of safety and keep my dogs safe and alive. I respect educated people and their research, but I'm just not ready to accept their findings at this point in time...
Also I helped to rehab a few owls, and one Bald Eagle... as for weight it really depends on the species, they are amazingly light for their size. Their feet have no problem encompassing my forearm and they have an excellent grip (through a leather glove).
I'm thinking too a study or aerodynamics and physics would be needed as simply put, things that are moving fast have more force behind them.
I also live on the water, and watched a heron catch a fish and then proceeded to throw the fish on the rocks (at least 15-20 times) until the fish quit moving. They usually swallow fish whole so I'm not sure why this was done.
I have seen a hawk catch a fish by diving into the water feet first and coming up with the fish in it's talons. Don't know the weights involved, but the proportions.... looked to be a 12 in long fish and the bird did struggle to fly off with it.
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