Gordon Claridges' post makes it clear that Powerful Owls decapitate, which they
could not do with their claws.
Thanks Gordon
QED
Cheers
Michael
Sent from my iPhone
> On 15 Dec 2018, at 9:37 am, wrote:
>
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Killer Claws (Michael Hunter)
> 2. Powerful Owls (Chris Lloyd)
> 3. Re: Who is the killer? (Philip Veerman)
>
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2018 09:24:47 +1100
> From: Michael Hunter <>
> To: "<>" <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Killer Claws
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> The mystery killer at Torquay prompts a question as to how avian raptors do
> actually kill their prey.
>
> Despite their great hooked beaks, Wedge-tailed Eagles kill with their claws,
> using their beaks to tear up their victims, or any carrion they eat. Or so I
> once read.
>
> Apart from Powerful Owls do any Australian Owls prey on large mammals. Mice
> are obviously caught and killed in bills, so presumably possums would be an
> extension of that technique, but, to be pedantic, does anyone really know if
> they are claw or bill killers?
>
> Another unrelated question. We have a continuous stream of many different
> bird species coming to our yard at different times of day, attracted by a
> bird feeder and kitchen scraps which they recycle.
> A family of six Purple Gallinules, including three sub-adult juveniles from
> the dam over 10Om away, very habituated to humans over the years, has invaded
> our yard.
> Initially this was a welcome development but they are there all the time,
> coming onto the verandah a and their large droppings are a big problem.
> Being habituated, when chased they walk a few metres away, look back at the
> chaser then return.
> We don't have a dog anymore and handed the shotgun in years ago.(joking).
> Any humane solutions apart from not feeding our flock ?
>
> Cheers
>
> Michael
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2018 09:27:45 +1100
> From: "Chris Lloyd" <>
> To: <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Powerful Owls
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
>
> Tawny Frogmouth remains were by no means common in Powerful Owl pellets or
> remains at butchery trees but there were a few amongst the 24 pairs on the
> Georges River in Sydney. Dominant birds were parrots (cockatoos, galahs and
> assorted psittidae), corvids and the occasional kookaburra. The Frogmouth is
> a very similar size and weight to most of these but we assumed its paucity
> in the records was largely due to their common activity times i.e. both were
> mobile at the same time and the POWLs tactic crash tackling prey at night
> would be less effective on frogmouths hypothetically. Ciao
>
>
>
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> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2018 09:34:20 +1100
> From: "Philip Veerman" <>
> To: "'Gordon Claridge'" <>, "'Robin and Rupert
> Irwin'" <>
> Cc: <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Who is the killer?
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> I suggest it would be just weird if the Powerful Owl did not feed on Tawny
> Frogmouth. Which is why I suggested it (combined with Robin?s comment on the
> possum). They eat all manner of birds of that size and bigger and smaller
> (not just possums). Although maybe, as the Tawny Frogmouth is active at
> night, rather than most birds, that would be sleeping when targeted, it might
> at least have a better chance of evading being taken. I looked at HANZAB and
> the list is so long that I did not bother reading it all to see if Tawny
> Frogmouth was included. Maybe someone else has more patience. But I also
> recall seeing a photo years ago of a Tawny Frogmouth that roosted beside a
> dependant young Powerful Owl with the comment something like ?it paid for
> this indiscretion with its life?. I thought (may be wrong) that was from
> David Fleay but it is not in his book. I wonder if anyone else knows where
> this was published.
>
>
>
> Philip
>
>
>
> From: Birding-Aus On Behalf Of
> Gordon Claridge
> Sent: Friday, 14 December, 2018 6:12 PM
> To: Robin and Rupert Irwin
> Cc:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Who is the killer?
>
>
>
> The possum with a hole in its side sounds like Powerful Owl. I?d have
> expected two punctures, but they can be hidden under the dense fur - or maybe
> the PO didn?t get a good grip on it.
>
>
>
> Are you sure there wasn?t a wound across the spine -it takes just one bite to
> paralyse the possum? See photos below. I?m not sure whether they can kill a
> possum just with their claws, but having seen their feet close up I would not
> rule it out.
>
>
>
> In the incident below the PO took only the head the first night, leaving the
> body on the ground. Because we were aware that this is a common PO strategy
> we left the body where we found it (after photographing) and set up a
> wildlife camera - the PO was back very soon after sunset and took the body
> away, after posing delightfully for the camera.
>
>
>
> We have also had situations where the only evidence of predation has been a
> pile of fur. In one case it was a small scatter of possum fur with a few
> drops of blood through it (right under the bird feeder where the possums
> regularly come to clean up anything left by the birds). I expect that it was
> grabbed on the feeder and then the PO sat on one of the side perches of the
> feeder to despatch it before flying off. Another time it was a small scatter
> of wallaby joey fur (characteristically ?crinkly? as distinct from adult fur)
> on a patch of lawn where wallabies graze at night.
>
>
>
> Does anyone know whether POs take Tawny Frogmouths? I?d have thought that
> they would be in the right size range for a PO meal.
>
>
>
> Gordon Claridge
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 14 Dec 2018, at 10:33 AM, Robin and Rupert Irwin <>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> <P1120089.jpeg>
>
>
>
> We live on 3 acres just outside Torquay in Victoria. There is of course
> quite a bit of activity at night but in the last few weeks we have had 3
> occurrences which have left us wondering. The first thing we found was a
> small amount of fur and an entrail at least 2 feet long, and absolutely
> nothing else. The second was a possum with a hole in its side and no other
> damage. Finally we found these attached feathers under pine trees - again
> nothing else. The feathers are 23cms long. Any suggestions would be much
> appreciated!
>
>
>
> Robin Irwin
>
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