Cold Case - Who Killed "Cock Robin"? Graphic Image
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Excuse me being Dutch and not sure about the name, but my best guess is a sparrowhawk (male). The prey is a greenfinch.
I think as he took the prey with him he got hungry beaks to fill.
I think as he took the prey with him he got hungry beaks to fill.
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That's perfect. Spot on. You in the industry?
Oooohhh, sorry Red, didn't mean to do that.
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The tension rises! Looking forward to see other idea's or clues towards what predator was doing his work here...
Well, we have a winner - sadly a victim of felis cattus (aka domestic vermin 
).
I really must invest in a high powered water pistol and go hunting!
Red
).I really must invest in a high powered water pistol and go hunting!
Red
Not a raptor as the feathers weren't plucked out....
Oh and having it happen in your own field where you know the neighbours cat hangs out and seeing the wee psycho at it helps!
Oh and having it happen in your own field where you know the neighbours cat hangs out and seeing the wee psycho at it helps!
I watched our darling cat kill a baby rabbit in our garden one day then and the it squatted over it and urinated on the dead body and walked off as proud as punch!! They really are evil creatures!
A bird would have left a right mess of feathers and clear pluck marks in the shaft of the feathers. You can also tell by the edges of the wound as cats and other mammals leave very distictive marks different to birds.
Thanks guys -that explains why it isn't a sparrowhawk
Is there anything that gives away the fact it isn't a weasel/stoat or some other mammal? Apart from knowledge of the area and likely miscreants, that is...
Is there anything that gives away the fact it isn't a weasel/stoat or some other mammal? Apart from knowledge of the area and likely miscreants, that is...
Again it's down to teeth marks in the feathers when plucked. Foxes tend to bite them off in large clumps and they have ragged torn ends and the mouthfuls of feathers are stuck together with saliva, they also pluck alot of feathers out. Stoats and weasels don't tear out such large clumps over a large area, and you can ID these clump sizes and the teeth marks in feather shafts to get your predator. There's also the scene of the crime and the place where you find the carcass, you can usually if not always find a stray hair that will ID your killer.
"Who killed Cock Robin?" "I," said the Sparrow,
"With my bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin."
"Who saw him die?" "I," said the Fly,
"With my little eye, I saw him die."
"Who caught his blood?" "I," said the Fish,
"With my little dish, I caught his blood."
"Who'll make the shroud?" "I," said the Beetle,
"With my thread and needle, I'll make the shroud."
"Who'll dig his grave?" "I," said the Owl,
"With my pick and shovel, I'll dig his grave."
"Who'll be the parson?" "I," said the Rook,
"With my little book, I'll be the parson."
"Who'll be the clerk?" "I," said the Lark,
"If it's not in the dark, I'll be the clerk."
"Who'll carry the link?" "I," said the Linnet,
"I'll fetch it in a minute, I'll carry the link."
"Who'll be chief mourner?" "I," said the Dove,
"I mourn for my love, I'll be chief mourner."
"Who'll carry the coffin?" "I," said the Kite,
"If it's not through the night, I'll carry the coffin."
"Who'll bear the pall? "We," said the Wren,
"Both the cock and the hen, we'll bear the pall."
"Who'll sing a psalm?" "I," said the Thrush,
"As she sat on a bush, I'll sing a psalm."
"Who'll toll the bell?" "I," said the bull,
"Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."
All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin
Topknot.
"With my bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin."
"Who saw him die?" "I," said the Fly,
"With my little eye, I saw him die."
"Who caught his blood?" "I," said the Fish,
"With my little dish, I caught his blood."
"Who'll make the shroud?" "I," said the Beetle,
"With my thread and needle, I'll make the shroud."
"Who'll dig his grave?" "I," said the Owl,
"With my pick and shovel, I'll dig his grave."
"Who'll be the parson?" "I," said the Rook,
"With my little book, I'll be the parson."
"Who'll be the clerk?" "I," said the Lark,
"If it's not in the dark, I'll be the clerk."
"Who'll carry the link?" "I," said the Linnet,
"I'll fetch it in a minute, I'll carry the link."
"Who'll be chief mourner?" "I," said the Dove,
"I mourn for my love, I'll be chief mourner."
"Who'll carry the coffin?" "I," said the Kite,
"If it's not through the night, I'll carry the coffin."
"Who'll bear the pall? "We," said the Wren,
"Both the cock and the hen, we'll bear the pall."
"Who'll sing a psalm?" "I," said the Thrush,
"As she sat on a bush, I'll sing a psalm."
"Who'll toll the bell?" "I," said the bull,
"Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."
All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin
Topknot.
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