like most people in the inner melbourne suburbs i see heaps of sky-rats (spotted doves)
ive recently noted a spike in magpie numbers from 1 flying overheard to 5-12 regularly landing in my backyard daily (trees/clothes-line/ground) both adult and juvinile.
i see 1-3 currawongs every second day now in my yard after seeing 1 only in the last year.
2 days ago a butcher bird did take down a sky-rat and eat its head on my back lawn, i figure it was too heavy for it to 'butcher'.
are all these birds here to eat the sky-rats?
Spotted Turtle Doves are not very good flyers although they're rather more adept at it than I am. So I would think they'd be easy prey for raptors if you have any frequenting your neighbourhood. However, I doubt that Australian Magpies & Pied Currawongs would be in the market for them so there's probably something else attracting them. I haven't heard of Pied Butcherbirds killing Spotted Turtle Doves but you say you've seen one doing this? I would have thought Spotted Turtle Doves would be a bit larger than what a Pied Butcherbird would try to kill.
yeah i thought they would be too big too, but i saw it. and i found one clip on youe tube of it happening. pity my camera was awol at the time or i could have video proof. i know maggies and currawongs are meat eaters and ive seen the juvy pies swoop the doves, which i previously thought was for fun. ive got a grey butcher bird not a pied one.