What did this and what is it? (Page 1/2)
ls3mach JUN 27, 04:37 PM
Found this on my back porch this morning. No blood. No tracks. No sign of struggle cleanly ripped off wings. I'm guessing it wasn't a predator type bird. I'm thinking it was a large stray cat and lonely on my porch because it's covered and we had storms. My cat didn't seem to want to go into the den where that door is, thus AM.
ls3mach JUN 27, 05:14 PM
Consensus has thus far been red tailed hawk and either a mitch larger bird or a non domesticated cat. Someone suggested bobcat though I can't recall ever seeing any in this area.
TheDigitalAlchemist JUN 28, 03:57 PM
I've found that a few times over the years - just a pair of wings at the side of the house. I've seen cats do that sort of thing, but with small birds...
Jake_Dragon JUN 28, 05:14 PM
https://centerofthewest.org...s-peregrine-falcons/

quote
A peregrine falcon can carry ½ its weight so at times they may need to make their kill lighter. They do this by removing one or both wings, the legs, and the head of the prey before carrying it to the nestlings.



I would assume it would do this so it could fly away with the bird and not have the wings mess with its flight.
Jonesy JUN 28, 05:29 PM
Yeah my cat used to bring me bird parts all the time when he was young. I'd get a bluejay wing, a head. Would often bring me chipmunk parts as well..

Never anything like a hawk though.. Have to be a pretty big cat to take that thing down.
Cheever3000 JUN 29, 04:57 PM
Was given an owl wing when I was little. Used the feathers for tying flies (as in fly fishing). It looked exactly like that.
2.5 JUN 29, 05:29 PM

quote
Originally posted by TheDigitalAlchemist:

I've found that a few times over the years - just a pair of wings at the side of the house. I've seen cats do that sort of thing, but with small birds...



Maybe just not much meat on the wing.

Possibly a Hawk that was already wounded or slow, or sick, or even deceased, doesnt need to have been attacked by a cat I suppose.

[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 06-29-2021).]

steve308 JUN 29, 07:43 PM
Just the aftermath of the boneless chicken process.
James Bond 007 JUN 29, 08:25 PM
Found this info on the net...Hawks are eaten by very few predators. With that in mind, hawks are eaten by the red fox, great-horned owls, raccoons, larger hawks, and eagles that tend to kill and eat hawks. It is not uncommon or unheard of for hawks to go after one another. In fact, they’ll kill and eat each other under the right circumstances. The Goshawk is well known for removing any competitors from its territory.
It is an aggressive species with a mammoth size. It could probably be one of the biggest hawk species out there, and it is certainly not afraid to throw its weight around. Large owls will sometimes take hawks that are roosting at night or even when they are incubating eggs.
maryjane JUN 29, 09:03 PM
Likely not a fox. They tend to carry the whole thing off somewhere and eat it. Possums, dogs and skunks make a terrible mess, and owls usually eat only the head and leave the rest unless they have young in a nest. All canines are known for killing just for the fun of it, and yes, your little Fluffy will join probably right in if other nearby dogs are doing it.

Most likely a feline of some kind, and they will leave a 'calling card' with feral cats and bobcats able to wreak a lot of havoc but domestic cats would have a tough time with a hawk.
Domestic cats very often leave parts or whole carcasses on your porch or doorstep, as it is said that this is their way of trying to teach you the human, how to hunt. I have found young rabbits, field rats, baby squirrels, various birds, serpents, lizards, frogs and toads on my porch many mornings, all left by the big Calico we have here.

Just wings of a hawk, I would suspect a domestic cat, bringing home what remained of a carcass found by the cat but killed by something else.