One or more native falcons are causing havoc in hen runs round Wanaka.
At least a dozen hens in the rural Mt Barker area are believed to have been killed by a falcon in the last few weeks.
Mount Barker Residents Association secretary Chrissie Thomson said yesterday she knew of at least six neighbours who had lost hens.
While she initially suspected ferrets and stoats, the death of one of her own hens had convinced her a falcon was responsible.
"I was sceptical about this until I found [a falcon] in our own hen run, snacking on the head of one of my hens.
"The other hens were traumatised and hiding but alive.''
It appeared as though the falcon was working its way along Mt Barker Rd, although there had also been a report of a falcon attack in nearby Faulks Rd.
Ms Thomson said instead of their normal hunting tactic of "taking a bird on the wing'' falcons appeared now to be quietly dropping into hen runs, even "hopping about like one of the hens'', to get close to their victims.
She advised owners to lock up their hens at night and supervise them when they were outdoors or cover their runs with netting.
"Bear in mind that if you have a lot of hens, they may object to being shut in for a long time, so you may have to alleviate their boredom with plenty of distractions like cabbage and silver beet leaves,'' Ms Thomson said.
It was the first time she had encountered a problem with falcons in the seven years she had lived in the area, she said.
Falcons are a protected species.
