Sparrowhawk kill site

In a previous post I talked about a fox kill (Fox and chicken just don't go) and how the ends of feathers were chewed.



Well a few weeks ago I came across a Sparrowhawk kill. A totally different affair to dear old foxy!

For starters, Sparrowhawks tend to pluck and eat the breast, sometimes decapitating the prey as well (see above). The plucking is such that the feathers are pulled out in their entirety and do not have that chewed effect. Unfortuneatley, I only had my phone camera with me and I couldn't get a good enough picture of the feather base. It is also common to find fine score marks on the feather shaft where the Sparrowhawk has grabbed the feather and pulled it out. Great stuff!

Technorati Tags:wildlife, bird of prey
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator