Headless red tail Hawks

[Holly_squirrel]

Long story short.. Before my Grandparents passed, they sold their home to a developer . They thought it needed too much work and wanted us to get the most money for it and they knew we wouldn't sell it to any developer .. Sadly we wanted to keep it. Anyhow, I have permission from tbe developer to be there.
Metal detecting today I found a headless red tailed hawk in the old chicken coop. Originally I thought it died for some reason, then a predator took it in there to eat...? Then I came across another one! Missing its head and part if its upper body. I also saw another one flying overhead. My question... Is there any natural reason for this? What could kill not one but 2 Hawks. If someone is shooting them, I want to notify the land owner about it. And it's illegal to kill tbem.
So what if anything could catch n kill a hawk.. And what would eat just the head?



Here is the one in tbe coop



And tbe one close by ... Next to the creek. Sorry if the images are upsetting to anyone . I find it sad too... But I figured somebody would ask how I knew they were red tail hawks.

 

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[kuger]

...I have never seen a hawk with feathers on its legs like the bird in the second picture....you sure thats not an owl?Headless chickens is text book owl,as well.I wonder if there isnt a dominant owl in the area?

 

[Holly_squirrel]

...I have never seen a hawk with feathers on its legs like the bird in the second picture....you sure thats not an owl?Headless chickens is text book owl,as well.I wonder if there isnt a dominant owl in the area?

Hmmmmm now that you mention it.... I'm not so sure. The first one my dad saw... And as a lifelong hunter , outdoorsman, and farmer... He should know... But the second one I was alone and he didnt see it. Tbe feathers look so very similar, I just end assumed.... I did notice the fuzzy feet, but thought the other bird was just not as fresh fuzzy

 

[hvacker]

Most hawks do have feathers on their legs. The wings appear to be a Red Tail along with the legs. There are a lot of varieties and can be confused with Kites, Falcons. The tail is a good indicator of type along with size. Most hawk tails are fan shaped but not all. Juvenile markings can be very different from adults..
I had two doves that lost their heads to a predator. Never knew what. As far as the predator, look for one that, along with hawks, likes chicken and eggs. Hawks might taste like chicken.

 

[Holly_squirrel]

Fuzzy feet similar wing pattern

 

[Holly_squirrel]

Not just fuzzy legs, but feet as well... And look at my first pic.. No fuzzy feet... So I think I'm going with owl... Till somebody shows me otherwise

 

[Frankn]

Well, I live on the remains of my farm. There is a red tailed hawk that lives about 100 yards from my home, and there are two turkey vultures, commonly called buzzards, that live in the remains of the old barn. They have one young buzzard each year.
Now as for the headless birds. There was a neighbor that claimed that hawks were killing his chickens. He would put a bated rat trap just above the coop. It would take the birds head off. Sad but true! Frank...

 

[bartholomewroberts]

Long story short.. Before my Grandparents passed, they sold their home to a developer . They thought it needed too much work and wanted us to get the most money for it and they knew we wouldn't sell it to any developer .. Sadly we wanted to keep it. Anyhow, I have permission from tbe developer to be there. Metal detecting today I found a headless red tailed hawk in the old chicken coop. Originally I thought it died for some reason, then a predator took it in there to eat...? Then I came across another one! Missing its head and part if its upper body. I also saw another one flying overhead. My question... Is there any natural reason for this? What could kill not one but 2 Hawks. If someone is shooting them, I want to notify the land owner about it. And it's illegal to kill tbem. So what if anything could catch n kill a hawk.. And what would eat just the head? View attachment 773429 Here is the one in tbe coop View attachment 773430 And tbe one close by ... Next to the creek. Sorry if the images are upsetting to anyone . I find it sad too... But I figured somebody would ask how I knew they were red tail hawks.

Very unusual Holly.. If it were a domestic bird [chicken, turkey, etc], I would tend to a predator in the mink, weasel, ferret area. We have lost birds to them before and they always go for the head..Seems strange to me.. but in our experience, that is what they do. If it was the other end, I would say it would be more likely to be a raccoon. Same problems in that we have lost birds to them too.. But I have never seen a raptor attacked by either of those. My only suggestion, and a speculation at that, is perhaps these birds might have ingested a toxin.... either from prey or by itself. When they died, perhaps another animal took the heads. Not much advice but perhaps it makes a modicum of sense. Good luck in finding out

 

[Holly_squirrel]

I suppose they could have been eating whatever was in the trap... Dear God that's a horrible thought. A poor thing caught by its foot and animals doing that to it. That'd be awful. But perhaps if it was baited with something poisonous that the animal Injested... But it'd have to be a very potent poison for big birds like that to drop in the spot... Then something coulda eaten them from there... I'm really afraid to go back.. Traps, headless raptors .... I'm afraid of what else I might see dead.. Or get myself in a trap

 

[WVPapaw]

Holly,


When I was a kid, my friends and I were raising pigeons. We had them in cages in a barn and rats got into the cages and did what you found with the hawks. It is possible the hawks got trapped a d then were attacked by rats.

 

[Holly_squirrel]

I'd have to say no. The coop had no door and no glass in the window . The owl was outside. And I don't imagine a rat , even a huge one could take on either