Need some opinions on bird feeding

[Sewa]

I have been feeding birds in my back yard for years. Now I have a hawk feeding on the sparrows, doves and quails that come to my yard. Should I stop feeding the birds until the hawk moves on or just let nature take it’s course?

[Skittles]

1. what I did

was, when I heard the birds start to yell I'd go out and chase the hawk around, throw things at it -- eventually he tired of me and left

[Sewa]

2. Thank you for your reply

I chase the hawk off when I see it, but I work nights and sleep until around noon. Most feasting is done before I get up.

[Skittles]

4. I hear you, I work nights too

but I have found that if you CAN intervene, hawks won't hang around long if there's a human involved

[douglas9]

3. Protect Backyard Birds With These Easy Tips

A soaring hawk can be majestic to see over the yard, but some of the glamour is lost when birders realize hawks eat birds and may be hunting favorite backyard species. Many birders prefer to protect their backyard birds from hawks rather than contribute to a predator’s meals. While it may not be possible to completely prevent hawks from visiting a yard, there are many easy ways to give backyard birds an edge over aerial predators without harming any birds, including the hunting hawks.



https://www.thespruce.com/protecting-birds-from-hawks-386576

[Sewa]

5. Thanks for the information

It’s very helpful

[gaiadiversity]

6. Why?

Why stop a hawk from eating? They are important components of any given ecosystem. I feed the birds too, but am happy to see raptors hunting. Usually here it's a Cooper's hawk. Seems to be successful every now and then. Keeps the quail and doves on their toes. Here's one visiting the backyard pond. All the quail and doves have fled, waiting for it to leave

[Arkansas Granny]

7. The hawk has to eat, too, and is just doing it's thing. If it doesn't find birds in your yard,

it will just find them someplace else. It disturbed me at first when this happened at my feeders, but I finally realized that I was still feeding birds, I had just expanded the variety,

From the piles of feathers I find in my yard, the hawks seem to be fond of Collared Doves. They are about the size of a pigeon and their light coloring makes them easy to spot in the tree tops. They are not a native species and seem to have replaced Mourning Doves around my house.