Feather ID

[Dogghound]

Today whilst in an area of relatively dense Birch woodland I came across a pigeon Kill, it had been killed and plucked by a bird of prey, However I found this feather amongst the pigeon remains. If i hadnt found it near a pigeon kill I would have said it was a tawny owl feather (Due to the colour). It was about 19cm in length. Resident birds of prey in the area include both sparrowhawk, Goshawk (about 8 miles away), peregrine (although doesn't look like it), Buzzard (not sure if it would kill a pigeon though, wasn't much left to scavenge by the looks of it), and as strange as it sounds chickens at a local farm (although ive never seen them in this area of woodland in about 5 years.) Or im sure there are other possibilities.



Top: The feather in question
Bottom: A similar pigeon feather for comparison



(Not a very good photo but shows what I want)
A rather strange combed appearance on the top half



Again the combed appearance of the tip.

[Hedge Witch]

Owl feathers have a comb edge.

"The most unique adaptation of Owl feathers is the comb-like or fimbriate (fringe-like) leading edge of the primary wing feathers referred to as "flutings" or "fimbriae". With a normal bird in flight, air rushes over the surface of the wing, creating turbulence, which makes a gushing noise. With an Owl's wing, the comb-like feather edge breaks down the turbulence into little groups called micro-turbulences. This effectively muffles the sound of the air rushing over the wing surface and allows the Owl to fly silently. There is also an alternate theory that the flutings actually shift the sound energy created by the wingbeats to a higher frequency spectrum, where most creatures (including prey and humans) cannot hear."

Fascinating - and your find is is a good piece of detective work - ever thought of a career in forensics?

[Dogghound]

Cheers Hedgewitch, a good guess eh . BUT... I know a tawny wouldnt kill a pigeon or scavenge its remains very strange coincidence.

[Hedge Witch]

Ahhh, I love a challenge

[Hedge Witch]

Look at the first feather, the one near his thumb (primary is it? - don't know the names):

http://www.godsownclay.com/OwlGaller...Wing_day29.jpg

Look familiar?


Also:
"Tawny Owls hunt almost entirely at night, usually waiting quietly on a perch, watching and listening. After detecting a prey animal moving in the grass, the Owl glides down or drops onto it and, at the moment of impact, extends its wings to cover the victim, which is usually killed immediately by the powerful feet and claws. Sometimes a blow from the beak at the base of the victim's skull is also used. Hunting on the wing alternating with hunting from a perch has been recorded in Sweden. Tawny Owls have been reported to beat their wings on bushes to startle birds into flight. They also snatch birds, and occasionally bats, from their roosting perches. Incubating birds, such as Blackbirds, Woodcocks and pigeons, have been picked off their nests".

So - after all that bush bashing, Mr Owl loosened one of his feathers. As he was flying around, he spots a pigeon on her nest. He violently kills her using his powerful claws and a bit of head-butting. He takes his victim and lands on the ground to consume his meal - During all that plucking activity etc he completely dislodges his feather, which mingles with those of the tragic victim.


You approve?

[Dogghound]

Your like sherlock holmes, sounds exactly rite, and the feather is spot on. I had no idea that they carried out this sort of behaviour truely fascinating.


Thanks alot.

[poschiavanus]

This is all very informative.

I took the opportunity to try out a guide I've had on the shelves for a while: the Helm "Tracks and Signs of Birds". With the photos and Dogghound's pointer to BoP I was able to exclude the other options and Tawny Owl looked a good fit, without knowing all the extra info provided by Hedge Witch.

An excellent example of why I like WAB: I've learnt something new, I've tried to get an ID using resources to hand, and I've learnt how to use said resources.

Thanks to you both.

poschiavanus

PS. BWP has this to say about Tawny Owls feeding on birds (there's more in the following sections):


Taken from the BWP on CD-ROM: copyright Oxford University Press.

Wide range of birds: from size of Goldcrest Regulus regulus to those as large and unlikely as adult Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (Schnurre 1934) and full-grown Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla (Saunders 1962); mostly, however, species that roost and/or feed in trees or are associated with man¾thrushes Turdus, tits Parus, Starling Sturnus vulgaris, sparrows Passer, and finches (Fringillidae). See, especially, Smeenk (Smeenk 1972), Wendland (Wendland 1980), and, for review of birds of prey taken (up to size of Asio otus), Mikkola (Mikkola 1976a, Mikkola 1976b).

[Hedge Witch]

Very interesting - I think we've all learnt a thing or two

[Dogghound]

It is ive learnt alot from this thread, Im not sure if this can go into the tracks and signs section or if it could go onto the tawny owl page may help with future IDing.

[romillyh]

Have to say it looked tawny the moment I looked at it. So I fished a primary out of a bag and here it is (hope this wo-orks!):



The feather's natural curve is straightened out because I was trying to display the "flutings" on the leading edge. The actual feather curves at the tip exactly as dogghound's.

As to pigeons, I've found two woodpigeon carcasses on their backs with belly cavity contents emptied out and every reason to think it was the work of a tawny (in wood under canopy cover in a tawny territory/other close to an active nest site). No 100% proof, but they are known to eat carrion and I assumed the tawnies had found the carcasses on the ground as I just can't see a tawny able to catch and control a woody!

From the guy with the thumb (romillyh)

[RobinP]

If they can manage an adult Mallard I'm sure a wood pigeon would not pose too much of a problem (a small one, admittedly).

[romillyh]

Yes, good point, I had been wondering. If only one could see these things happening . . trouble is, it tends to happen at night. I think my problem is that tawnies -- under all those feathers and outsize wings -- are really rather small, light creatures and all they really have is that ferocious grip (which is diabolically strong! ). So I have this image of a tawny being dragged around in quite a risky way by a strong(er) bird before it could subdue it. In the process of which it'd certainly lose a few feathers . . .

Anyone actually seen anything like this happen?

romillyh