wrote in message
ps.com...
On Apr 1, 11:29 pm, "JWBH" wrote:
Today I saw a starling drop out of a tree, and it appeared quite dead on
the
ground. I came back about an hour later to pick up the corpse and it had
disappeared.

what might have happened? foxes roam about there, plus cats and also we
also have a lot of magpies around. but would they be interested in
taking
an already dead bird?

I found a rat last year, dead without a head, in the garden, I wonder
what took that off!

I was goung to say a fox, but they would probably eat the whole thing and
leave the head.

Alan

In message , Alan Holmes
writes

wrote in message
ups.com...
On Apr 1, 11:29 pm, "JWBH" wrote:
Today I saw a starling drop out of a tree, and it appeared quite dead on
the
ground. I came back about an hour later to pick up the corpse and it had
disappeared.

what might have happened? foxes roam about there, plus cats and also we
also have a lot of magpies around. but would they be interested in
taking
an already dead bird?

I found a rat last year, dead without a head, in the garden, I wonder
what took that off!

I was goung to say a fox, but they would probably eat the whole thing and
leave the head.


Possibly a cat: our neighbour's cat used to eat rabbits except for the
scut, the large intestine and one hind foot, which it would leave
together in a little pile.

The dead starling was probably taken by a cat to give to its owner.

--
Sue ]

On Apr 9, 7:39 am, Malcolm wrote:
In article , MadCow
writes



In message , Alan Holmes
writes

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 1, 11:29 pm, "JWBH" wrote:
Today I saw a starling drop out of a tree, and it appeared quite dead on
the
ground. I came back about an hour later to pick up the corpse and it had
disappeared.

what might have happened? foxes roam about there, plus cats and also we
also have a lot of magpies around. but would they be interested in
taking
an already dead bird?

I found a rat last year, dead without a head, in the garden, I wonder
what took that off!

I was goung to say a fox, but they would probably eat the whole thing and
leave the head.

Possibly a cat: our neighbour's cat used to eat rabbits except for the
scut, the large intestine and one hind foot, which it would leave
together in a little pile.

The dead starling was probably taken by a cat to give to its owner.

I'm not a cat keeper, but don't they only do that with prey they've
caught themselves?

--
Malcolm- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It's strange that you mention that, I don't have a cat but frequently
I find mice and dead birds near, but not in, the porch. We have feral
cats around here but I don't feed them so if they do bring presents to
their owners, why do they bring them here? Or, is there anothr reason
and do cats just do this anyway?

Judith

"Malcolm" wrote in message
...

In article , MadCow
writes
In message , Alan Holmes
writes

wrote in message
roups.com...
On Apr 1, 11:29 pm, "JWBH" wrote:
Today I saw a starling drop out of a tree, and it appeared quite dead
on
the
ground. I came back about an hour later to pick up the corpse and it
had
disappeared.

what might have happened? foxes roam about there, plus cats and also
we
also have a lot of magpies around. but would they be interested in
taking
an already dead bird?

I found a rat last year, dead without a head, in the garden, I wonder
what took that off!

I was goung to say a fox, but they would probably eat the whole thing and
leave the head.


Possibly a cat: our neighbour's cat used to eat rabbits except for the
scut, the large intestine and one hind foot, which it would leave together
in a little pile.

The dead starling was probably taken by a cat to give to its owner.

I'm not a cat keeper, but don't they only do that with prey they've caught
themselves?

Yes, but it is mainly vermin, mice and rats, I've never been given a bird by
any of my cats.


--
Malcolm