Dead Bird ID? [Don't look if you are squeemish]

Synn · #1 (**permalink**) 23-01-2010, 10:48 PM

These pictures are of an unidentified dead bird, it had Black-brown feathers with a pale underbelly and slightly gold-orange feathers on neck as well as white underwings, unfortunatley there is no head to help identify it.

It was found on the edge of a beach near Irvine on the West Coast of Scotland.

RKB · #2 (**permalink**) 23-01-2010, 11:30 PM

It's a Fieldfare (or, rather, it was).

Synn · #3 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 08:27 AM

Thanks we'd thought about that but weren't certain.

thebeard · #4 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 01:52 PM

has it been sprawked????

Synn · #5 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 02:16 PM

A Peregrin Falcon flew over us just after we discovered it so maybe he was the perpetrator?

RKB · #6 (**permalink**) 24-01-2010, 03:41 PM

I've seen Sparrowhawk victims (Fieldfares) looking just like this (they don't always pluck the wings/tail of large prey). But Peregrine or even Merlin is a contender. Definitely raptor though, not mammal.