who dunnit ? (1 Viewer)

[Ben Watkins]

We found a freshly killed woodpigeon with a pile of feathers around it feeding on it was a large bird about the size of a Buzzard with fingered wings. Odd things was this was a woodland path somewhere between Guildford and Horsham in Surrey. Any suggestions!!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Why not a Buzzard?

 

[Adam W]

Sparrowhawk would be most likely i'd think,size is always the most difficult thing to judge but if it was Buzzard size then maybe Goshawk is possible or of course it could have been a Buzzard but if so perhaps a bit more likely it would just be feeding on an already dead bird,that said i'm sure a Buzzard would be capable of catching a Pigeon even if they dont make a habit of it.

 

[Ben Watkins]

Thanks Gents

 

[citrinella]

Hi Ben,

Buzzard do catch woodpigeons live, though I am still wishing I could see it. As someone said it could be on a bird that was already dead, perhaps killed by a sparrowhawk. Female sparrowhawks catch woodpigeons. Indeed Ian Newton estimated pigeons (of all kinds) might form much more than half the food of females (which are much larger than males), by weight. It is possible that a buzzard would chase a sparrowhawk off.

While buzzard are now associated with open country, apparently they were originally woodland birds. They have adapted to open country because humankind has stripped almost all the woodland in the UK. Adapt or suffer ! I see them in small patches of wood regularly, and they seem well adapted to nipping between the trees, even where dense.

Goshawk should be a good possibility, but there are not many places with anything like a decent population of goshawk. Is it really likely in your area ?

Mike.

 

[dram7]

Just cannot see and never heard of buzzard catching live wood pigeon. Sparrowhawks(female) all the time when on the ground. sparrowhawk takes the juicy parts away because it can't carry the whole bird. Buzzard mops up the leftovers.