Beware of These 17 Dangerous Animals Flying In North Carolina’s Skies

The sharp-shinned hawks are naturally aggressive and aren’t afraid to go after much larger predatory birds if they get too close to their nest. This is especially true during mating season when young hawks are in the nest.

They generally do not attack people or pets due to their size, but they may attack if you or your pet is too close for comfort to their nest or young. They are too small to go after chickens, though they do hunt smaller birds. If you have a birdfeeder, they may be attracted to the area because of it.

Cooper’s Hawks might be on the smaller side of the predatory bird scale in North Carolina, but they make up for their size with their ferocity. These hawks target smaller birds as prey and often scope out areas where songbirds feed, like birdfeeders.

If you know of a nearby nest, make sure to avoid it because they have been known to protect their young fearlessly. Cooper’s hawks will not fly off with your pet but can injure them if they are too close to a nest with young.

The slender-bodied red-shouldered hawk prefers to nest near a water source, like a North Carolina creek, stream, swamp, lake, or river. They do not generally eat fish but hunt crawfish as a main staple to their diet.

They have been known to divebomb anyone getting too close to their nest or young. These hawks aren’t going to fly off with your dog or cat but can harm them if they get too close to their nest.

The golden eagle is the biggest raptor and is the most commonly distributed eagle throughout the United States. These opportunistic hunters scan the ground below for moving prey like rabbits, chickens, squirrels, and marmots. Their dive can be high-speed at up to 200 mph. The golden sheen of this massive bird’s feathers makes them appear to almost glitter in the sunlight.

These large birds don’t know any difference between your cat and a wild animal in North Carolina, so they have occasionally picked up small pets and carried them off. Half the time, the mistaken prey gets dropped from high above and can be badly injured or die in the fall.

The bald eagle is a national symbol of freedom, and though these large raptors may be endangered, they are steadily making a comeback near waterways nationwide and are frequently seen throughout North Carolina. It is unlikely that any sizeable predatory bird will kidnap your pet, but it occasionally happens.

Even with the given statistics, it is doubtful an eagle will take your best friend, but if you live near a nest, it’s best to be cautious and stay away from it. The bald eagle is very aggressive when it feels its young or territory is being threatened.

These little brown bats are generally harmless and fantastic to keep around. In North Carolina, they fly around, eating up to their body weight (.29 oz) per evening. That’s a LOT of mosquitos that don’t get a chance to bite you. Like most animals, they are afraid of humans and tend to steer clear of them.

However, they do like flying around lights at night because of the bugs the light attracts. This doesn’t mean they hang out by your porchlight waiting to attack you or your pet. It is actually the opposite. They can be seen in the twilight sky near street posts, stadium lighting, and other extremely bright lights that attract insects. If you see one on the ground or out during daylight, it could be rabid. Never touch a bat.

Big brown bats are slightly larger than twice the size of the little brown bat. They can also eat their weight (.62 oz) per night in flying insects, like mosquitos in North Carolina. They are attracted to bright outdoor lighting because it attracts many insects. The big brown bat is one of the fastest bats out there, clocking speeds of 40 mph! These fast insectivores can live to be 20 years old.

These attractive bats claim North Carolina farm country as their favorite territory to hunt. They stick to large open areas with scattered trees like pastures and fields. Farms generally have barn cats, dogs, and people, which can all be infected with rabies.

These medium-sized bats tend to live solitary lives, or at most, with their small family. They are also one of the first bats to come out at twilight. Sometimes the male eastern red bats get up extra early for their dinner time and start flying around in the late afternoon.

The hoary bats of North Carolina are reported to have one of the highest incidences of rabies among bats, though other more recent information suggests the opposite. One thing is undoubtedly true; the hoary bat is the most widespread type of bat in the Americas. These small bats are also migratory, meaning they do not hibernate in the winter; they vacation somewhere warmer than their home.

Mosquitos get a bad rap in North Carolina, but they deserve it. They are responsible for the spread of the following deadly viruses; malaria, Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, eastern equine encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis, Jamestown Canyon, western equine encephalitis and La Crosse encephalitis, to name a few. Of course, most of these are very rare in the United States, with malaria only recently appearing here after a long time without it. The bottom line is that mosquitos can make you or your pets sick.

The bald-faced hornet is not an insect you want to cross or get too close to their nests in North Carolina. They are known to be aggressive when they think their nest is in danger. These giant hornets don’t have any trouble calling for reinforcement from their nestmates, either.

Being attacked by these hornets probably won’t kill you, but depending on the number of stings you receive, you could end up in bad shape. These hornets will go after your pets, too. If an animal is stung too many times, it can die.

These hornets are attracted to sugar, and they tend to run into people when doing so. They are not dangerous but will attack if they feel their nest is threatened. If you have a nest on your North Carolina property, it’s best to avoid the area if possible or call an expert to relocate the hornets to a safer place for everyone.

The hornets usually make their nests inside walls or hollow trees, so it may be challenging to see the nest. You’ve found the nest if you see hornets come in and out of an area during the daylight hours.

Kissing bugs can be dangerous if they have Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which causes Chagas disease. These resident insects of North Carolina are most active at night and generally bite around a person’s mouth. There are 11 types of kissing bugs in the United States. These bugs usually crawl instead of fly, but the adults fly toward homes with light at night.

The kissing bugs exclusively feed every two weeks and can drink five times their weight in blood from livestock or human hosts. The parasite is transmitted in the droppings of the kissing bug, and it can make us sick if we get it into our mouth, eyes, or nose. They frequently leave feces behind when they are feeding.