what ate the pigeon?

[Jules001]

I've just been down the end of the garden and found a pile of what I think are pigeon feathers. I think I saw a sparrowhawk around yesterday would they strip the feathers off or would it be a fox or cat. I put some cooked macaroni out for the birds (not where the feathers are) but there is some macaroni amongst the feathers so assume it is the contents of the bird's stomach yeeeuk! other than that and the feathers there is nothing left. Any ideas anyone?

[Cetti]

Hello Jules. A female Sparrowhawk would have no trouble catching - and stripping, a Wood Pigeon, or an even easier Collared Dove.

The male being considerably smaller has to be content with Sparrows, Tits and Finches, but the female is a very big girl indeed and she would pick out a pigeon (complete with macaroni dinner !) - no problem.

[Thunderbird+]

Hi jules, I think you could be right in thinking it was the sparroehawk that was responsible. If the feathers appear to have been bitten off neatly at the base of the shaft, this will indicate a sparrowhawk kill.
Mamal preditors usually leave skin and other remains behind.
Sometimes a fox will just eat the head and leave the rest of the body intact.
I have also on occaision seen s'hawk kills where just the pigeons breast had been eaten.

[wolf63]

thunderbird+

you say that a fox may sometimes eat only a head. Why? When I was little our cat used to eat mice heads and bring the rest home.

Surely it would make more sense to eat the meaty bits and leave the head and spine.

[Thunderbird+]

Wolf63

I dont know why fox's sometimes just bite the heads off but I do know, they have some strange habits ie bury a carcas or eggs and dig them up much later and eat them only when they are half rotten.

What I stated was based purely on observation. I had on a few occaisions seen a few headless wood pigeons laying around in the woods but did'nt know what did it, until one day while out walking in the countryside on fresh snow, I noticed the perfect imprint of a pigion, with it's wings out stretched and evidence of a scuffle. I noted the fox tracks and some spots of blood and decided to follow them and they went on for about a 1/4 of a mile and ended in a thicket of trees. This is where I saw the pigion minus it's head and thats how I came to that conclusion. Tbird+

[wolf63]

I presume cats and foxes know something we don't.

I would ask my furry master and mistress but it is lazing in the sun time of the day and they do not like to be disturbed.

[Thunderbird+]

Aye let sleeping dogs lie and cats too for tht matter!