Years ago on one of the times I had Aust Ravens nesting in my big tree, (here again this year). When the chicks were almost fully grown and ready to leave,
I found one (or was it two) of the chicks, dead on the ground under the nest, head removed. Something like this. Though no other sign of having been eaten. I don’t know how it happened.
Philip
From: Kevin Windle [
Sent: Monday, 28 September, 2020 12:08 PM
To: Canberrabirds
Subject: [Canberrabirds] headless hawk
An unusual find at Campbell Park yesterday morning: the
remains of a collared sparrowhawk, headless, with most of the body missing (edible flesh apparently eaten down to the spine). Otherwise wings, tail and talons in quite good condition. Rigor mortis had not set in. I took a few photos.
Comparing notes half an hour later with a passing entomologist, I learned that on Saturday she had found and photographed the head – but nothing else. The head was about
100 m. from the remains I found. I wondered what might have been responsible for its demise. A possum? A cat?
Kevin