Dealing with a hawk that got stuck in a building

Need goose removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020.

The hawk is one of the most majestic looking birds that one will come across. These are absolutely beautiful animals, which soar above their domain, looking down below on potential sources of food for them. They fly with incredible grace, and have a beauty that is hard to describe beyond the word majestic.



While these are beautiful animals, they are also extremely aggressive ones. Because there are very few natural predators to the hawk, they are able to soar and live without much concern about other animals interfering in the processes of their life. They are the king of the air, only surpassed by the Eagle and some species of owl.

This is important information for you to know because you may find a situation where a hawk has gotten into your building. This can either be into your home or your place of business, and you clearly want this animal out. It poses a very serious risk to you, your family, and your employees, because you never know if these animals will attack one of them. Hawks are very aggressive creatures because they are used to being the kings of the roost, and so they will attack if they feel threatened in any way.

It is important to remember that not only are these aggressive animals but they are wild ones at that. Wild animals are very unpredictable, and that can mean they can turn on you in a moments notice. Forget these movies where a person has tamed a hawk and takes it with them everywhere they go; these are dangerous animals.

So, what do you do if a hawk gets stuck inside a building where you live or work? The truth is that you need to protect yourself, and so you need to take actions that protect yourself while getting the animal out.

One way you should most definitely avoid trying to remove the animal is by holding some kind of bait and attempting to lure the animal out of where it is located. The animal may attack you directly, which can be quite dangerous because their claws are extremely sharp. This should never be attempted.

Instead, the best option is for you to try to use a professional to capture this animal and remove it. If you contact animal control, there is a good likelihood that they would be willing to come out and get the animal for you. They understand that these are animals that would be dangerous for you to come in contact with, and also may see that there is value in taking the animal to a shelter or returning it to a preserve.

You could also try contacting a nature preserve in your area. They are likely to want to come and retrieve this hawk for you. If not, they will have good suggestions for you as to where you can go to get your situation resolved. It doesn't hurt to at least call them to see what they can tell you.

What if a Hawk Gets Stuck Inside a Building?

Need bird removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020.

The thing with bird-in-building-style situations is that no two situations will ever be exactly the same. Birds act very erratically when they are scared or threatened, and this is often the case with most wild animals, in fact. However, the problem is escalated when you're talking about a bird or other flying creature. They have the advantage of being able to escape quickly, easily, and before you've even realized what's going on. Good news of the bird, of course, but bad news for you.



Trying to catch a bird is basically impossible unless you have a plan. Larger birds will often chase down the smaller birds, and sometimes they fly right into larger buildings, particularly warehouses and large stores. Once inside, an escape route is seemingly invisible to the bird and although many homeowners often open all windows to try and encourage the bird to leave, it is actually sometimes a better idea just to have the one window open, and open very wide.

When birds get stuck inside smaller buildings or buildings with lots of things that can get knocked over, there's a good chance that the bird will make full use of the space they have inside, and they'll barge into everything and anything, breaking stuff. This is even more so the case if you're chasing them down with a blanker or something similar. You'll just get increasingly annoyed that you can't capture the flying beast, and the bird will just get more and more distressed. There's something you should know about birds too, even the bigger ones. It doesn't take much to distress them, and it actually doesn't take much to injure them too. Just the smallest grab from you might seem insignificant, but you could easily break bones if you're not careful. Even if you don't manage to get your hands on them, they'll be scared beyond belief. The stress of all this chasing around alone can be enough to actually scare them to death. Birds handle stress very badly.

The best thing to do when you have a bird inside a building, and definitely when you have a large bird, such as a hawk, is to turn all the lights off. Shut all windows, except one. It should be the largest one, and also the most obvious one. The bird will need to find it. The idea behind turning the lights off inside the building is to let the bright, natural light from the outside of the building guide the bird to safety. Lots of windows open will create lots of drafts and winds around the space, and this will, once again, confuse the bird. One window and all lights off — that's often the way to do it.

If you feel the need to shoo the bird along, make sure you do so safely. There's no need to go crawling any ladders or putting yourself in dangerous spots. There are bird removal experts who will do that for you, and they'll have all the right equipment necessary to get the job done safely, humanly and effectively. If you're climbing ladders, you'll need to have another person around to hold the ladder and make sure you're safe, and there's a good chance the bird will have flown off by the time you've even put your foot on the second rung. There's that flying advantage again.

Chasing the bird is not going to make life easier for you, and it's certainly not going to make life easier for the birds. Try the above method to remove hawks from buildings, and if all else fails, give the professionals a call. Don't harm yourself or the bird for the sake of a few bucks.

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does bird removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of birds - my main bird removal info guide.
Example bird removal photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Bird job blog - learn from great examples of bird jobs I've done.

Select Your Animal

Raccoons Raccoon Removal Advice & Information

Squirrels Squirrel Removal Advice & Information

Opossum Opossum Removal Advice & Information

Skunks Skunk Removal Advice & Information

Rats Rat Removal Advice & Information

Mice Mouse Removal Advice & Information

Moles Mole Removal Advice & Information

Groundhog Groundhog Removal Advice & Information

Armadillos Armadillo Removal Advice & Information

Beaver Beaver Removal Advice & Information

Fox Fox Removal Advice & Information

Coyotes Coyote Removal Advice & Information

Birds Bird Removal Advice & Information

Bats Bat Removal Advice & Information

Snakes Snake Removal Advice & Information

Dead Dead Animal Removal Advice & Information

OthersOther Wildlife Species Advice & Information