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What killed this Blackbird? (Warning - Photos of Dead Bird!)

Hello, sorry if anyone finds this gruesome but I found this blackbird corpse with strange wounds.  Does anyone know what might have done this?

It has been decapitated and the head was not present, feathers raked away on its back and I assume the guts have been removed from the hole. No other marks or punctures that I could see and relatively few feathers removed.

My guess is another bird, I've seen a female sparrowhawk in this area but she rips birds to pieces, feathers everywhere, not sure if this is too neat for her work?
Wearside, England.
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  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888
    someone's pet cat
    Devon.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,884
    I think that I would go for sparrowhawk which may have been disturbed from its kill.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • If the head is missing it's almost always a cat, then it leaves it and other carnivores come and get a bit. Birds of prey dont eat the head unless they are very hungry. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Sparrow Hawk, have them here, don’t like them but I suppose they have to eat as well. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888
    edited November 2019
    I don't think sparrow hawk. They'd have eaten the whole thing, or carried it off. Can't see them leaving it behind.
    I'm sticking with a pet cat, they just kill for fun are are rarely hungry enough to eat the whole thing
    Devon.
  • If the head is missing it's almost always a cat, then it leaves it and other carnivores come and get a bit. Birds of prey dont eat the head unless they are very hungry. 
    That’s my experience too. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    This has put me right off my KFC family bucket
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Hmm, interesting, thanks for your comments all. The hole is about the size of a 1p and I examined the little body and found no puncture wounds which made me initially rule out a mammal kill. It looked unusual to me so thanks for your input, much appreciated.
    Wearside, England.
  • Of course ... it could have been that a sparrowhawk was doing its usual thing of plucking the breast when it was disturbed by something and the abandoned corpse was later beheaded by a cat or rat. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Yes, I was thinking something similar last night after considering @purplerallim's comments. It could have been scavenged after death.

    I didn't know cats ate the head and left the body, I haven't seen that before so I also wondered if it was a cat kill and a magpie or seagull could have then started to eat it. The arrangement of the feathers on its back puzzled me but I suppose anything could have happened to cause that. 

    Thanks all for taking the time to respond🙂
    Wearside, England.
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