The scene of the crime

[texsize95]

A few days ago I saw something deceased in the driveway.
At the time I thought it might be skunk but if so it was a scent free species LOL.
This morning there was a bunch of feathers all over some quiet large.
On the way back up I stopped and collected a few.
Sent the picture to AI (Grok) and it thought it was from a red shoulder hawk.
I don’t agree. I looked up the bird and it’s too small for this big of feathers.

I believe it’s from a red tailed hawk. I’ve seen what I believe to be a red Tailed hawk perching on a fence post right next to the scene. In fact I have a dash cam video of it on my pc I haven’t bothered to upload.
According to Grok it’s illegal to keep the feathers and I’m not planning on doing that anyway.
But what could take on a red tailed hawk and possibly win?
Ive seen raccoons but they are nocturnal and I doubt a red tail hawk would be caught on the ground at night.
I’ve seen stray cats but I don’t think a cat would take on a bird that size.

Anyway here is the picture of the feathers.

 

[Jcas53]

Just double-checking; You actually saw the dead hawk, not just feathers, correct? We have very rarely seen dead raptors where I live even though live ones (eagles, hawks etc) are in abundance. The most common causes of death are human. Car strikes. Eating poisoned mice/ rats, lead poisoning from eating shot carcasses of deer and such. Is it possible that, rather than a fight, the hawk died of some other cause but then some animal tore into the carcass? As you said, not much will
take on a full-grown hawk and win. Maybe a bobcat, but it would have to catch the hawk on the ground.

 

[texsize95]

Just double-checking; You actually saw the dead hawk, not just feathers, correct? We have very rarely seen dead raptors where I live even though live ones (eagles, hawks etc) are in abundance. The most common causes of death are human. Car strikes. Eating poisoned mice/ rats, lead poisoning from eating shot carcasses of deer and such. Is it possible that, rather than a fight, the hawk died of some other cause but then some animal tore into the carcass? As you said, not much will
take on a full-grown hawk and win. Maybe a bobcat, but it would have to catch the hawk on the ground.

No body, just feathers.
But there were what I call meat bees buzzing all around.
These sort of bees like to hang around compost and they sort of hover around. Must have been traces of….you know.
I didn’t see any blood, feet, head or non edible things other than the feathers.
Grok stopped answering so switched to chat GTP.
It thinks an owl or bobcat.


A few years ago the security cameras caught a mountain lion walking around the top of our hill.
I think a wild cat most likely. It would take the remains as a to go meal rather than dine in.
I can’t see a hawk roosting so low to the ground to be vulnerable to an owl.
Here is the dash cam video of the bird of pray that has been seen there on a regular basis.

 

[AMD88]

We have 2 resident red tail hawks in my neighborhood. I agree that it was probably an animal as opposed to an owl. For us...it would be the coyotes that are roaming.

 

[Jcas53]

Does look like a red-tail in the video though it’s a little hard to tell; but it’s not a small hawk as compared to the fence post. A Fox would also be a possibility. They are so quick and sneaky. They also carry off their meals.

 

[texsize95]

I was out on the deck enjoying the perfect weather and heard the cry of a red tailed hawk.
So maybe it escaped.
Or there’s more than one.
I have seen and heard the immature red tails calling out for the parents to bring food in years past.
It’s also the sound effect that Hollywood likes to use for all hawks and even bald eagles.

Other than the one on the fence post I’ve only seen turkey buzzards soaring along the hill.
There are lots of squirrels up here and I figured that’s what the hawk was on the lookout for.

 

[texsize95]

Last evening just at sunset I walked over to the barn.
I was figuring options of best way to move a cage from barn to house for the new CAG.
I was just about to enter barn when I heard the Key-yah cry of the red tailed hawk and he (or she) took off from a nearby tree.
I think it must have been a juvenile that made a fatal mistake and the parents are looking near the last place it was seen.

Nature can be cruel sometimes.