[NatureNS] Headless Merlin

From: Robert Stevens <rocks@xcountry.tv>
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:41:17 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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My wife found a headless Merlin in our Canning garden this morning.
It was surrounded by feathers but no sign of a head.
The uppermost part of the torso had been partially eaten exposing raw flesh that was still pale.
An hour or so later, the flesh had darkened suggesting death not long before the find.

Can anyone suggest what sort of creature is agile enough to kill a Merlin but strong enough to decapitate it.
Why was the head missing?

On the other hand, the bird may have been blown into a nearby tree by the extremely high wind, knocked out or killed
and then partially eaten by crows or something else.

I have a few photos of the bird if anyone would like to see them.

Any comments welcome.
Bob Stevens



 

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