Could a buzzard take a cat?

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anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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[redacted]

essayer

9,011 posts

193 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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I would have thought very unlikely. A buzzard weighs about a kilo and might take on a small rodent or rabbit but an adult cat would put up a serious fight.



Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Take as in take them away somewhere? No chance. Buzzards aren't big enough and know that cats aren't their prey.

Maybe a defenseless kitten or a sick old cat but I'd not mess with a healthy cat if I was a buzzard.

Quickmoose

4,482 posts

122 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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If the Buzzard was accurate and grabbed the cat by the scruff of it's neck, it'd think it was their mum grabbing them and go limp....

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-an...

"Buzzards principally eat small rodents, but also take birds, reptiles, amphibians, larger insects and earthworms. Prey up to 500g is taken by active predation; anything heavier is usually carrion or seriously enfeebled individuals."

"Gamebirds are sometimes taken, though these make up only a tiny proportion of the diet. Buzzards are more likely to feed on carrion."

A cat weighs, what, 3-7kg?


battered

4,088 posts

146 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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A European or African buzzard?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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We have a lot of buzzards around here, and two cats. I've never heard of anything like that.

C0ffin D0dger

3,440 posts

144 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Nearly had a head on with one on the way back from Wales along the A5 as it was trying to get fully airborne with a dead rabbit. Given how much it was struggling with that I doubt it would have much chance with a live cat. Red Kites are bigger and there's quite a few around now, wonder if one of them could take one? In the interests of science would a Golden Eagle be able to take one?

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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battered said:
A European or African buzzard?
They would be hunting coconuts.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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C0ffin D0dger said:
Nearly had a head on with one on the way back from Wales along the A5 as it was trying to get fully airborne with a dead rabbit. Given how much it was struggling with that I doubt it would have much chance with a live cat. Red Kites are bigger and there's quite a few around now, wonder if one of them could take one? In the interests of science would a Golden Eagle be able to take one?
Kites are only carrion.

battered

4,088 posts

146 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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TooMany2cvs said:
C0ffin D0dger said:
Nearly had a head on with one on the way back from Wales along the A5 as it was trying to get fully airborne with a dead rabbit. Given how much it was struggling with that I doubt it would have much chance with a live cat. Red Kites are bigger and there's quite a few around now, wonder if one of them could take one? In the interests of science would a Golden Eagle be able to take one?
Kites are only carrion.
Quite so. Buzzards aren't big enough. In addition predators don't want to get into fights, one injury and it's game over. Even lions are careful what they take on, a broken paw means you can't run and you will starve. An eagle - maybe, if it were desperate, and the cat enfeebled or asleep. No way would even an eagle be strong enough to carry it away live, it would have to make a kill on the ground and carry away the corpse. Let's be honest, the likes of you and I can't hold on to a live cat fighting for its life, and an eagle weighs a good deal less than 12 stone.

Joey Ramone

2,150 posts

124 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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I'm a big guy. My neighbour has been working with farm animals for the past 5 decades. A few months ago we both tried, between us, to get my little tabby Dora to swallow some antibiotics via a syringe

It was like walking into a set of rotating knives. She weighs about 4kg but fought like a bloody lion. The end result was that I got fed the antibiotics in the struggle (no joke, my neighbour injected it into my mouth during the fight)

If a buzzard tried to snatch her it would end up 45p a slice in Tesco's the next day.

Edited by Joey Ramone on Thursday 30th March 12:22

julian64

14,317 posts

253 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Quickmoose said:
If the Buzzard was accurate and grabbed the cat by the scruff of it's neck, it'd think it was their mum grabbing them and go limp....
I'm gonna take a punt here and say you've never had a fight with a cat.

justinio

1,151 posts

87 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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As others have said. Theres too much risk involved for a predator to take on another predator, unless the food source is scarce.

Could it happen? Of course, if the circumstances are right. If the cat is on deaths door and the bird cant find/hasnt found another food source, it might be worth the risk.

But the chances of any bird taking a full grown healthy cat are practically zero.

Hainey

4,381 posts

199 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Joey Ramone said:
I'm a big guy. My neighbour has been working with farm animals for the past 5 decades. A few months ago we both tried, between us, to get my little tabby Dora to swallow some antibiotics via a syringe

It was like walking into a set of rotating knives. She weighs about 4kg but fought like a bloody lion. The end result was that i got fed the antibiotics in the struggle (no joke, my neighbour squirted in into my mouth during the fight)

If a buzzard tried to snatch her it would end up 45p a slice in Tesco's the next day.
Genuine lol. Thank you hehe

Boosted LS1

21,167 posts

259 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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julian64 said:
Quickmoose said:
If the Buzzard was accurate and grabbed the cat by the scruff of it's neck, it'd think it was their mum grabbing them and go limp....
I'm gonna take a punt here and say you've never had a fight with a cat.
Buzzard's talons imbedded in it's would be nothing like Mummy tiddles picking up a kitten.

andym1603

1,799 posts

171 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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It is claimed that the Sea Eagles in the north west of Scotland take more lamb than fish, So they are more than capable of carrying a cat. Might have to disarm the cat first though.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/113...

Boosted LS1

21,167 posts

259 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Golden eagles will take young foxes but maybe not from the front. I've seen stand offs over a winter carcass between an adult fox and an eagle. TV documentary stuff.

benny 61

467 posts

183 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Buzzards wouldn't take on a cat no chance, Red kites the same.
A Golden eagle would take a cat with ease not a problem. It wouldn't be a fight as such the eagle would just dive down with one foot on the head and one on the body the cat wouldn't be able to move. The power of a Goldie is phenomenal they take 10-14lb brown hares on a regular basis.

hondafanatic

4,969 posts

200 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Obvious question but are we talking about an Africa buzzard or European?

getmecoat