la_ravachol
Well-known member
Recently at RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas in Wales I stumbled upon a lot of Barn Owl feathers across the ground - clearly a Barn Owl had been murdered! The feathers (including one or two flight feathers) were complete as if they'd been plucked by another raptor, not broken as you'd expect with a mammal. Also at the scene, there was a pellet (not large, but of a reasonable size) containing only Barn Owl feathers and thin white egg shell. Would a raptor have eaten an egg?? None of the feathers in the pellet were broken either, so again, a mammal doesn't appear to be the culprit.
If it's not a raptor and it's not a mammal, what else could have predated the owl? Or was the pellet left by a scavenger? A Raven perhaps? Or could a Raven have even killed the owl?! Do Ravens pluck birds before eating?
It also strikes me as weird to find a pellet at the scene of the crime - why did it hang around so long?
Can anyone help me solve the mystery!
(I'm sure a definitive answer is unlikely, but fun to speculate.)
If it's not a raptor and it's not a mammal, what else could have predated the owl? Or was the pellet left by a scavenger? A Raven perhaps? Or could a Raven have even killed the owl?! Do Ravens pluck birds before eating?
It also strikes me as weird to find a pellet at the scene of the crime - why did it hang around so long?
Can anyone help me solve the mystery!
(I'm sure a definitive answer is unlikely, but fun to speculate.)