A Dead pigeon (3 Viewers)

[Euan Buchan]

At the moment there is a Dead Pigeon ontop of my Garage roof there's feathers everywhere & just thinking what killed it. I know it wouldn't be a cat don't see many cats around my garden could easily of been a Crow or Sparrowhawk not a pretty scene mind you

 

[Nina P]

Euan, Just recently I have been seeing feathers of a good number of birds, Woodpigeons about 4 so far this year, Collared doves 3 blackbirds 5 and brown feathers of indeterminate little brown jobbies at least 20! I know who is responsible too, that sass'n'frassen' sprawky! I have photographed it on the fence, seen it almost decimate my prize "Autumn Gold" Acer as it scrabbled around in the filigree branches as I looked on in shock as it tried for a chaffinch
and Bluetit! I hope it leaves the garden soon, or I'll have no birds left, they are vanishing in droves as it is!:C

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Absolutely sure it is a cat.

The cat you didn't see Euan.

Other predators would have taken it away to eat.Likewise ,the cat would too, if it were smaller but it would have taken it home as a gift.It doesn't need to eat as it is well fed at home..

A Friend has just discovered 4 baby blackbirds dead and their nest destroyed by cats.All that work for nothing.

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Euan, Just recently I have been seeing feathers of a good number of birds, Woodpigeons about 4 so far this year, Collared doves 3 blackbirds 5 and brown feathers of indeterminate little brown jobbies at least 20! I know who is responsible too, that sass'n'frassen' sprawky! I have photographed it on the fence, seen it almost decimate my prize "Autumn Gold" Acer as it scrabbled around in the filigree branches as I looked on in shock as it tried for a chaffinch
and Bluetit! I hope it leaves the garden soon, or I'll have no birds left, they are vanishing in droves as it is!:C

Oh Nina,
How I wish they would speak the truth and know how much damage cats do.
If they came to every garden that fed birds ,they would know just how much damage felines do.I don't know where they get their results from but no-ones been to my garden.

Sadly it is dismissed.

Those of us that feed the birds know better.
Last bird I seen taken ,was a young healthy chaffinch - so sad.

 

[Euan Buchan]

the pigeon has no head that's all I can say

 

[Anthony Morton]

Absolutely sure it is a cat.

The cat you didn't see Euan.

Other predators would have taken it away to eat.Likewise ,the cat would too, if it were smaller but it would have taken it home as a gift.It doesn't need to eat as it is well fed at home..

A Friend has just discovered 4 baby blackbirds dead and their nest destroyed by cats.All that work for nothing.

Hi Mary Evelyn,

I wish I could share your certainty that the killer was a cat - but I can't. As Nina has suggested, it was far more likely to have been a sparrowhawk, especially judging by Euan's 'feathers everywhere' comment.

Anthony

 

[Mickymouse]

I would go with the sprawk theory because most garage roofs I know don't have anywhere for a cat to hide, something to think about anyway.

Mick

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Hi Mary Evelyn,

I wish I could share your certainty that the killer was a cat - but I can't. As Nina has suggested, it was far more likely to have been a sparrowhawk, especially judging by Euan's 'feathers everywhere' comment.

Anthony

Hi Anthony ,you could be right but we found feathers everywhere in our garden and 5 headless young blackbirds last year.I had arrived back from work and a neighbour had seen 2 cats attack 2 of the birds and was shocked when we found another 3.One of the birds was on the shed roof.

A Sparrowhawk took a collared dove out right above us and there were feathers everywhere ,but he didn't drop the bird.

 

[Anthony Morton]

Hi Anthony ,you could be right but we found feathers everywhere in our garden and 5 headless young blackbirds last year.I had arrived back from work and a neighbour had seen 2 cats attack 2 of the birds and was shocked when we found another 3.One of the birds was on the shed roof.

A Sparrowhawk took a collared dove out right above us and there were feathers everywhere ,but he didn't drop the bird.

Hi Mary Evelyn,

Unless someone witnesses the death, as with the baby blackbirds you mention for example, there's always going to be an element of doubt as to the true identity of the killer. In this case, however, I suppose we'll never know for certain, although there's a chance that IF it was the work of a sparrowhawk then Euan might see it if and when it comes back for a second helping.

Similarly cats are sometimes blamed for a kill they didn't make, especially when they arrive home with a partially eaten prey item they've come across on their rounds - just like the pigeon on Euan's garage roof. The owner assumes the cat was responsible, but was it?

Regards,

Anthony

 

[Euan Buchan]

Something has moved it to it's side it hasn't been windy here for awhile

 

[KnockerNorton]

Just eating the head (or starting there) is typical of Sparrowhawks. Although who's to say a cat didn't kill it, and then a corvid came and made a meal of the head?

Typical kills by different predatos can be quite distinctive though, and it's fairly easy to tell a cat from a sparrowhawk from a fox from a window, by what feather damage there is, what's been eaten or what's left.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Just eating the head (or starting there) is typical of Sparrowhawks. Although who's to say a cat didn't kill it, and then a corvid came and made a meal of the head?

Typical kills by different predatos can be quite distinctive though, and it's fairly easy to tell a cat from a sparrowhawk from a fox from a window, by what feather damage there is, what's been eaten or what's left.

hard to tell really just the heads missing but the body is still there

 

[The Tom]

hard to tell really just the heads missing but the body is still there

Hi Euan without actually seeing the predator it is difficult to say but by the position of the dead pigeon it probably was a Sparrow Hawk and likely a female .Keep your eyes peeled as if it was a Sprawk then it will most likely return to finish of its meal or find another one .

 

[Euan Buchan]

Hi Euan without actually seeing the predator it is difficult to say but by the position of the dead pigeon it probably was a Sparrow Hawk and likely a female .Keep your eyes peeled as if it was a Sprawk then it will most likely return to finish of its meal or find another one .

Could be on watch and if I see it I'll take a pic If I can if Im around

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Hi Mary Evelyn,

Unless someone witnesses the death, as with the baby blackbirds you mention for example, there's always going to be an element of doubt as to the true identity of the killer. In this case, however, I suppose we'll never know for certain, although there's a chance that IF it was the work of a sparrowhawk then Euan might see it if and when it comes back for a second helping.

Similarly cats are sometimes blamed for a kill they didn't make, especially when they arrive home with a partially eaten prey item they've come across on their rounds - just like the pigeon on Euan's garage roof. The owner assumes the cat was responsible, but was it? Anthony

Regards,

Well Anthony,I have read many of your posts and I know your'e going to tie me in knots but I have seen a lot of birds killed by cats this past few years, even though I work full time,I sometimes worry as to how many are taken when I am out.
I also have a pet - supplies outlet (no livestock) and my customers, dedicated to garden birds ,also see many birds taken by cats.
The ones that own cats are horrified by how many are taken home alive.Even the dead ones are not damaged or half eaten.

I don't know where they get their statistics from, on losses by cats.I do know that if the cats weren't here ,the birds would be reasonably safe from the Magpie and Sparrowhawk.
Cats have become so popular and up to just recently ,we had 5.Now we have 7.My garden is not big but it's a haven for birds which in turn attracts the cats.A fairground.
The Sparrowhawk and Magpies do come but because of the lay-out the birds have a fighting chance.If the cats were killing for food,I wouldn,t get so heated Anthony.
Oh well,You're probably going to carve me up now. B
However, I am doing what Jos advised me about moving feeders etc.and fingers crossed.

 

[Anthony Morton]

Regards,

Well Anthony,I have read many of your posts and I know your'e going to tie me in knots but I have seen a lot of birds killed by cats this past few years, even though I work full time,I sometimes worry as to how many are taken when I am out.
I also have a pet - supplies outlet (no livestock) and my customers, dedicated to garden birds ,also see many birds taken by cats.
The ones that own cats are horrified by how many are taken home alive.Even the dead ones are not damaged or half eaten.

I don't know where they get their statistics from, on losses by cats.I do know that if the cats weren't here ,the birds would be reasonably safe from the Magpie and Sparrowhawk.
Cats have become so popular and up to just recently ,we had 5.Now we have 7.My garden is not big but it's a haven for birds which in turn attracts the cats.A fairground.
The Sparrowhawk and Magpies do come but because of the lay-out the birds have a fighting chance.If the cats were killing for food,I wouldn,t get so heated Anthony.
Oh well,You're probably going to carve me up now. B
However, I am doing what Jos advised me about moving feeders etc.and fingers crossed.

Hi Mary Evelyn, :flowers:

Tie you in knots? Carve you up? No fear of that, in fact I'm one of those silly old duffers who still stands up when a lady enters the room!

When it comes to the sparrowhawk/magpie/cat discussion, however, I would be the first to admit that nothing is set down in tablets of stone. True there are a number of often-quoted facts and figures used to illustrate the respective argument. Sadly though none of them can be totally relied upon as being one hundred per cent accurate owing to a variety of reasons, including either being based on a relatively small sample, or are even several years out of date. The Mammal Society Report on cat predation is a good example of what I mean.

So we're not talking about rocket science here. Yet until we do have statistics which are both accurate and reliable enough to satisfy the experts(if ever!) then these rule of thumb calculations are the only ones available to us. That said, there will always be that grey area which leads to a difference of opinion when someone else's ideas conflict with your own beliefs.

In my opinion, magpies only become a problem to songbirds at nesting time. Based on population estimates and predation rates, however, it can be shown that in total sparrowhawks account for twice as many songbird deaths as cats, which is hard to accept, I know. Perhaps it's because cat kills are much more visible owing to their habit of taking their victims home as a present for their owner.

Regards,

Anthony

 

[Mary Evelyn]

Hi Mary Evelyn, :flowers:

Tie you in knots? Carve you up? No fear of that, in fact I'm one of those silly old duffers who still stands up when a lady enters the room!

When it comes to the sparrowhawk/magpie/cat discussion, however, I would be the first to admit that nothing is set down in tablets of stone. True there are a number of often-quoted facts and figures used to illustrate the respective argument. Sadly though none of them can be totally relied upon as being one hundred per cent accurate owing to a variety of reasons, including either being based on a relatively small sample, or are even several years out of date. The Mammal Society Report on cat predation is a good example of what I mean.

So we're not talking about rocket science here. Yet until we do have statistics which are both accurate and reliable enough to satisfy the experts(if ever!) then these rule of thumb calculations are the only ones available to us. That said, there will always be that grey area which leads to a difference of opinion when someone else's ideas conflict with your own beliefs.

In my opinion, magpies only become a problem to songbirds at nesting time. Based on population estimates and predation rates, however, it can be shown that in total sparrowhawks account for twice as many songbird deaths as cats, which is hard to accept, I know. Perhaps it's because cat kills are much more visible owing to their habit of taking their victims home as a present for their owner.

Regards,

Anthony

Thankyou Anthony,
Here the Magpies are only a problem at nesting time as you said.I know what you mean about Sparrowhawks and I am willing to learn.It's just that they kill for food and I try to understand that but the cats here don't need too.
I hope you understand that I am not against cats.I am against the killing of any wild-life without a purpose.I Thankyou for not tearing me to bits though.

 

[Richard W]

feathers everywhere and no head screams of Sparrowhawk to me, as Mick said a cat would be very unlikely to make a kill on what is presumably a flat garage roof?

not that it couldn't happen but it would have to be already up there or very close by making it highly visible, seems unlikely to me, anything could have moved it once dead.

 

[Stuart Watson]

At the moment there is a Dead Pigeon ontop of my Garage roof there's feathers everywhere & just thinking what killed it. I know it wouldn't be a cat don't see many cats around my garden could easily of been a Crow or Sparrowhawk not a pretty scene mind you

See some of the replies to BARMPOT`s -Killer Magpies thread for similar decapitation stories. Quite distressing some of them.

 

[oceans]

I have trained my border collie to see off the cats (our neighbor has 4....one is a cornish rex and very agile, it caught a swift on the wing a couple of years back, nasty vicious thing. It looks like Golem...yuk!!) this only works when I`m home however.
So if there were no cats do you think we`d have more birds? Cant help thinking we would.
Does anyone know if those electric cat scarers work?