Bird Of Prey

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Anonymous
Bird Of Prey

Anyone have any ideas why a bird of prey would take a turtle dove, start pulling the feathers out and then just leave it? I mean even if it was frightened away wouldn't it be back asap for it
hmm very odd
thanks :)

Windhover
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uhhhm

Probably a Collared Sparrowhawk....and perhaps it got spooked bad enough to abandon feeding. What did you do? Did you try to sneak up on the bird of prey?

What color was the BOP? How big?

Amateur

Yeah, I remember a few years back I was outside when there was a loud bang from smoewhere and a mouse (or something, my memory is a bit hazy on this) dropped out of the tree and I looked up to see a not very happy BoP, I don't think it came down to get it after either, so maybe it was disturbed by something?

myky50

Hi Windhover & Amateur
We do have a collar sparrowhawk here and i have seen a grey goshawk, a brown goshawk and 2 australian hobbies hanging around in the gum tree and diving and missing other birds but in this case i don't know what it was - i didn't see a thing just found the body - heard the lorikeets making a racket sometime before - maybe i did disturb it but i would have thought i would have seen something as the turtle dove was up against a fence so the escape route would have been my way and i would have thought the BOP would have taken it with it - like the time i walked out the back door to see a bird being carried off. the BOP was feeding in the backyard (as i found the kill site) and took off when i stepped out
some advice please - my first instinct was to remove the turtle dove but when i thought about it later that just meant the BOP would have to kill again - i don't know what would you do?
thanks :)

myky50

I just found this in the backyard which doesn't really help matters but i think it rules out the Hobby

Thanks :)

al
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The feather is either from a spar or gos.
Cheers,
al

myky50

Thanks al :)
can we work out with one by the size of the prey - would sparrowhawks take turtle doves? i suppose if it is hungry enough it will
thanks :)

al
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Yes, a female spar would.

al
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...and could you post a pic of the whole feather & its measurements please.

myky50

hi al :)
190mm x 27mm
thanks :)

myky50

al
al's picture

doesn't make it any easier....but I can now say either female spar or male gos.

myky50

okay thank you al :) i gather you are the bird of prey man?

birdie
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Hey Al. so that is the basal at the very top?
i'm interested too.... how do you know so much about BOPs?

CHeers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

myky50

Al :)
would you know if this feather is also from a female sparrowhawk or a male goshawk - it is 190x40mm this time and the back is different from the front - although you can see the pattern it has a white or grey appearance to it

thanks :)

al
al's picture

Hi myky50,
Not a hawk feather, could be from a frogmouth.
Birdie, lower part of the feather.
Next time you find a dead crow/raven on the road, pull out one of throat feathers.
Lower part ( downy section ) of feather grey in ravens, white in crows.
I used to train and hunt with raptors.
Cheers,
al

myky50

thanks for your help al :)

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