Buzzard kills chickens? Experts clarify!

Buzzard kills chickens? Experts clarify!

In Upper Carinthia, the death of a buzzard is causing a stir and raising questions. Franz Schüttelkopf, managing director of the Adlerarena Landskron, explained that the buzzard can rarely be seen as a threat to chickens. “Among the birds of prey, it is actually only the hawk or in the mountains on a mountain farm perhaps the golden eagle that would be considered,” says Schüttelkopf. These massive birds of prey are generally unable to overpower much larger and heavier chickens. The rent of secret machinations is a myth as long as there is no real emergency. He added that only extreme starvation could force a buzzard to take such a risk.

Criminal consequences

According to Markus Lerch, the district captain of Spittal an der Drau, the incident will also have legal consequences, which will be examined by the public prosecutor's office. If it is actually animal cruelty, as mentioned in Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act, this could lead to a fine of up to 7,500 euros. In the event of a repeat offense, there is a risk of a fine of up to 15,000 euros. It remains to be seen how the public prosecutor's office will decide before the district administration authority intervenes orf.at reported. In the context of the Carinthian Hunting Act, the fine for the death of a protected buzzard could be up to 1,450 euros.

It is known that Schüttelkopf treats hundreds of injured birds of prey every year and then releases them back into the wild. According to Schüttelkopf, cases of chickens found dead are usually explained as attacks by other animals such as foxes, dogs or cats. This knowledge stands in stark contrast to the supposedly Wilhelmine idea that buzzards pose a major threat to livestock owners, which apparently is not the case.