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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Do currawongs kill rabbits?

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    • Fenris.Wolf
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         I have a small backyard which my bunny loves to roam in. Its bricked all along the sides with a huge fence around so my rabbit could never escape, so I usually just let her roam for a few hours a day and check on her every 10 minutes or so. Today I went outside to find these two huge birds (think they were currawongs, but I’ve never seen them where I live before) sitting in my tree just watching my rabbit, who was terrified and hiding. I tried to shoo them away but they didn’t budge, so I took bunny inside and they flew away as soon as she was inside.

        Do these birds normally attack rabbits? So far what I’ve read says they only attack small birds and chickens some times, but I’d like to make sure before I let her out again.

         


      • Roberta
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          That would be a YES… Crows and Magpies will attack an undefended bunny and Currawongs are part of the family. They may not eat the bunny but will damage it’s eyes and cause other injuries. The only thing I could recommend is enclosing the garden completely using a cat netting.


        • Roberta
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            Just did a tad more research and they will infact kill and carry off a rabbit, also small possums even lambs on occasion. They tend to hunt in pairs or groups and this time of the year they will be nesting and feeding babies.. I would not have my bunny out there for a second even supervised…

            Due to the large variety of raptors (eagles, hawks and falcons) we have in addition to the Magpies, Crows and Currawongs my bunnies are indoors perpetually…. Roaming cats are another big concern… If you really want to giver her outside time you may have to build a purpose designed enclosure for her safety.


          • MoveDiagonally
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              I would either build a safe enclosure or supervise 100% of the time.


            • Monkeybun
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                Even when supervising, your bunny could still get nabbed by a bird before you can even react. It’s safest to keep them indoors, or in a 100% enclosed, predator-safe enclosure when outside.


              • Roberta
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                  Exactly right Monkeybun, especially when dealing with birds that have above average intelligence. They hunt in groups for a reason, distraction being one of the weapons.


                • MoveDiagonally
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                    Good to know! I am not bird savvy at all and my bunnies are only indoors.

                    The idea of a bird carrying away my rabbit right in front of me is terrifying!


                  • Bam
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                      A couple of years ago a pet rabbit being carried off from an enclosure in a private garden by an eagle made the news nation-wide, because the dad of the girl who owned the rabbit got so upset with the trespassing and theft that he called the police. It must’ve been an awful experience for the little girl, having her dear pet torn way right in front of her by that huge bird. Not to speak of how the poor rabbit must’ve felt, hopefully it’s neck was broken instantly so it didn’t have to suffer long.

                      But the lesson here is birds are QUICK like it’s hard to believe. And magpie/crow/raven type of birds are really clever and inventive. I’d not trust them an inch. And the police can’t do a thing.


                    • Roberta
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                        I know… People just don’t think of “Death From Above”
                        The number of times I have seen up to six eagles and or hawks on the drive home circling for food then have someone in the shops or on FB complaining their outdoor bunny has escaped but they don’t know how…. I mean really, cats, hawks, eagles, even feral foxes…. the life expectancy for a small animal in an unprotected open yard is going to be very very short..
                        That’s how I got my Piglet and Pepper.. They were from a free range meat garden, a rescue group discovered it after they received phone calls that all the local cats were bringing bunnies home for breakfast… The rescue group ended up raiding the property, the owner thought it hillarious that the lcoal cats were getting fat… P & P could not be matched up with a Mummy so I got them. They were so tiny, I hate to think that just one more day and they would have been eaten by a cat or other predator.


                      • Fenris.Wolf
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                          Thankyou all for the advice! I was very wary about letting her outside but after months of no animals and not a single bird in sight while I was constantly supervising her I thought it was fairly safe, but obviously not. When I went outside and saw them I just knew they were after her, it was terrifying :c Thankfully I made a little closed in enclosure type thing for her to hide in case this kind of thing happened, so that might have been the only thing that saved her.

                          I guess she’ll just have to be an indoor bunny from now on.


                        • tobyluv
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                            It can be very dangerous for a rabbit outside. I know a person who had their rabbit outside, and was near them, but a hawk suddenly swooped down and attacked and killed the rabbit. Predators can also scale walls or climb trees and jump down into fenced/walled areas where a rabbit is.


                          • Rufus
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                              Another thing that can be an issue is the fright that a big bird can give your rabbit. We have recently got crows around our place and I had my bun in an x-pen in the fenced in garden just to give him some fresh air. I was sitting right next to him. A crow swooped down and didn’t even come close to the pen but Rufus went rigid in fear. I was so scared he was going to be frightened to death. I picked him straight up and took him inside and it took twenty minutes or so (and a few dried cranberries) for him to relax properly again. The thing is, Rufus is the most self-assured rabbit I’ve ever seen. He’s so bold and I’ve never seen him scared by anything before. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I have a cover for his x-pen but now I only let him out there if the cover is on and I’m in the pen with him.

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                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Do currawongs kill rabbits?