Last week was a weird one for my backyard birds and it has me worried

I usually see 15 to 20 house finches at my feeder every morning without fail. But last Tuesday through Thursday, I counted maybe 3 total each day, and they looked ruffled and kind of slow. I checked my seed bin for mold or bugs and found nothing wrong, so I think something else is going on. My neighbor mentioned she saw a sharp-shinned hawk hanging around the power lines a few days before, which might have scared everyone off. Has anyone else had a week where their regular birds just vanished like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.sean17h agoMost Upvoted

Wait, a sharp-shinned hawk? That's a pretty serious predator for a backyard setup. I know they're not huge but they're still fast and quiet enough to clear out a feeder in a hurry. Your finches probably saw it once and decided to lay low for a few days, especially if it was hanging around the power lines. I'd be worried too, but it's probably just the hawk moving on and the birds coming back.

the_jennifer19h ago

Whoa, a hawk moved into the neighborhood?

miles_garcia13h ago

Right there with you, my neighbor spotted a Cooper's hawk hunting around our block last month and I had the same reaction. My feeders went dead silent for almost a week before the smaller birds worked up the nerve to come back, but they're still skittier than they used to be. Hawks usually just pass through a spot for a few days in my experience, so your finches will probably start showing up again once they feel safe.