I found a Sparrowhawk who had met a similar fate in SA. The most likely culprit was the Peregrine who had a nest very close by. I have also seen Collared Sparrowhawks and Goshawks
nesting in relatively close proximity to one another at Black Hill in SA.
Danny
From: Philip Veerman <>
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 7:31 PM
To: 'canberra birds' <>
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] headless hawk
Interesting, I asked that question a few years ago of Jerry Olsen I think, because you rarely see the 2 species nearby. I think he said the
sparrowhawks go away. A few years ago both were nesting fairly close at ANBG. That should have been written up in CBN. I got to see the
sparrowhawks but not the
goshawks.
From: Stuart Rae
Sent: Monday, 28 September, 2020 2:23 PM
To: Mark Clayton
Cc: canberra birds
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] headless hawk
Yes Mark, Brown Goshawk most likely. One of the first signs of goshawks moving into an area in Scotland is the disappearance of the local sparrowhawks.
On Mon., 28 Sep. 2020, 2:01 pm Mark Clayton, <> wrote:
Possibly a Brown Goshawk, a Little Eagle or a falcon but it would probably need to be the size of a Peregrine, depending on the size of the remains. Even a large owl might have caught it asleep at night. Male Collared Sparrowhawks are
the smallest of the Australian raptors. Then again it may have had a gang of Australian Magpies attack it, or dare I say it, the local Noisy Miners, and potentially wound it leaving it vulnerable to a raven, either species but more likely an Australian Raven.
I would be surprised it a Brush-tailed Possum had a go at one, even if up a tree. Someone's pet moggie cannot be ruled out, I have seen cats up behind the office block there where houses border the reserve.
Mark
On 28/09/2020 12:07 pm, Kevin Windle wrote:
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
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