Pigeon Attacks?

[JonnyAlpha]

I live in close proximity to St James and Green Park and walk my dog every day.
During my two years here I have often noticed dead pigeons, some obviously the victim of Fox Attacks but last year I spotted some with just thier heads missing, at the time I figured this to be the act of some sick individuals?!?!

However today I spotted two dead pigeons in Green Park, again at first it only seemed to be that thier heads were missing and I again assumed that some callous act had taken place however on closer inspection each of them had a hole in thier backs about an inch in diameter and it looked like all of thier insides had been devoured.

This is more likely the act of an animal or Bird of Prey but I`m intrigued as to what, especially as there is no other damage?
A Fox eats most of the carcass leaving only the wings and I would have though a Bird of Prey would have caused a little more visible damage?

Any info, are there hawks in the area?? haven`t seen any?

[aeshna5]

Probably either Peregrine or Sparrowhawk- both of which are in the general area.

[witham]

A fox will take the heads off their victims as we have witnessed in our chicken and duck pens over the years but the other injuries you describe definitely point to a different assailant

[JonnyAlpha]

Yep!!

Managed to catch a couple of Royal Parks Wildlife gents this morning and they too said that the missing heads were the work of a Fox but the other injuries were more than likely Crows.
They also said that Foxes normally bury there victims rather like dogs but Urban Foxes just tend to take the heads?

[Pigeon feather]

I bet my bottom dollar these were carrion crow attacks. They always remove the head of pigeons first as the brain is highly prized by them, they then return and devour the rest of the body bit by bit. They are currently raising young at the moment so the incidence of this happenning is rather high and it's mainly young pigeons that they select and attack or those that are sick/weak they are very good at spotting these birds in a flock!

[voleman]

Doubtful if it was a sparrowhawk, they pluck the feathers and often leave a bit of a mess.Foxes also leave a mess. Carrion crows do de-capitate birds and are aggresive at this time of year.