Sarasota Business Hurting Due To ‘Attack Hawks’ Dive Bombing

A business owner in Sarasota, Florida is unsure how to proceed after being plagued by a pair of ‘attack hawks.’ With incredible sharp talons, the pair of ‘attack hawks‘ have been dive bombing and attacking people outside of her business.

Nesting season for red-shouldered hawks runs from February to early May which means this pair of hawks are right on track. These are common hawks around this part of Florida. I happen to live in Sarasota myself, where these ‘attack hawks’ are causing mayhem, and I see at least one of specimen of this hawk species every single day while I’m out walking my dog.

The business owner, Odalys Hayes, contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after the pair of hawks kept attacking. That ultimately led to WFLA News Channel 8 sending reporter Jeff Patterson out there in a full-blown protective helmet. Sure enough, they hawks went after him. There is also footage of the hawks going after an FWC officer:

Jeff Patterson was at least protected from the razor-sharp talons these attack hawks possess. But that didn’t make the entire ordeal any less hectic:

Odalys Hayes told WFLA 8 that “everybody, the minute you go in the walkway here, you get attacked.” She says the person who mows the grass has been attacked. Her son has been targeted by the attack hawks. And her husband appears to have gotten it the worst.

Hayes said her husband was wearing a helmet and the hawks still went after his head, adding “he’s wearing a helmet, got attacked 8 times on Wednesday, last Wednesday taking the garbage out. He almost lost balance and fell down… Oh, yeah, very bad, he was all cut up.”

The Sarasota, Florida ‘Attack Hawks’ Present A Conundrum

These hawks are a protected species. On top of that, they are nesting which means there will soon be fledgling hawks on the way if they haven’t arrived already.

This means that the nest cannot be removed while the hawks are nesting regardless of whether or not they present a threat to the business owner and anyone else in the area. Hayes says “I can’t do anything, at all, anything, period, when the nest is there.”

Once the fledgling hawks are born, steps can be taking. An FWC officer suggested using noise makers to scare off the hawks, bright/reflective/shiny objects will also deter the hawks. They even suggested hanging wind chimes.”

For now though, the only guidance she has for guests is “park really close to the roof” so they can run inside before getting dive bombed by the attack hawks who want nothing more than to spread mayhem.

As someone born and raised in Sarasota I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever been dive bombed by attack hawks… Seagulls at the beach? Sure. Maybe at least one other species of bird that I didn’t recognize or can’t remember but I’ve never felt threatened by hawks before. All in all, this is a pretty wild Florida story and a reminder that it’s not all strip malls and new construction down here. There are still plenty of homes surrounded by wild forests.