Nature is a harsh and callow swine!

[Romanymagic]

Looked out onto our patio tonight & saw a crow standing over the corpse of a dead pigeon which the crow suddenly decapitated and then flew off with the pigeons head, almost "trophy" like! Pigeon wasn't in the fatal position a minute before so I have to assume the crow killed it, blood was red and fresh as well as opposed to dried blood which tends to have that dark brown stain. Of all the years of living backing onto a major wildlife and fauna park I have never witnessed a crow kill a pigeon before. Nature can be a cold, harsh beastie. Pigeon corpse now in our bin, crow wondering where his "kill" has gone.

[Jasandjules]

I think the head is the "best" part......... Surely put the pigeon back out so the crow can get his reward for his efforts.

[bexVN]

As a rule crows are scavengers but nature can be tough, maybe the crow was getting desperate and has a family to feed. I agree he should be allowed his kill if he is looking for it, he may have to kill another one otherwise!

[Zeemax_Mini]

I found a robin on the patio recently without a head, maybe that explains it! Was also sat by the river having a drink the other day, and saw a duckling struggling to stay afloat (flapping about etc) on the surface. About 20 seconds later a gul swooped down, picked it up, flew up high and dropped it back down onto the water! It did this two or three times until it stopped moving, then picked it up again and flew off!

Dom

[JohnnyJones]

How did the crow get the pigeons head off? It takes a fair bit of effort to snap the spine, even something as small as a pigeon.

I don't believe it just bit it off!

[soad]

Crow 1 - 0 Pigeon

To be fair, it's the first timke i've heard of this

[tenex]

soad said:

Crow 1 - 0 Pigeon

To be fair, it's the first timke i've heard of this

Agreed. Crows can/do kill a lot of things but I doubt a pigeon.

[Dargie]

Until i moved out of the city i never knew how evil crows are! They work together and will take on most things! But the local farmer did tell me how to get rid of them if anyone is needing some help!

[Pothole]

or perhaps you could leave them well alone?

[Dargie]

Pothole said:

or perhaps you could leave them well alone?

I was only meaning if they were causing a problem. We have a problem pair that peck at the windows at sunrise which, as you can imagine, is getting earlier and earlier just now.

[Pothole]

Dargie said:

Pothole said:

or perhaps you could leave them well alone?

I was only meaning if they were causing a problem. We have a problem pair that peck at the windows at sunrise which, as you can imagine, is getting earlier and earlier just now.

I was talking about the whole scenario. WTF the OP decided he should play God and take the crow's meal away I can't fathom. Is the flying rat closer to 'people' than the crow perhaps?

[otolith]

In slow moving traffic the other day, just outside Bicester, I saw a dead blackbird in the middle of the road - except that when I was alongside, I saw that it was still alive and struggling, though clearly mortally injured. Couldn't stop, couldn't run it over, couldn't do anything but felt terrible for the poor thing

[Pothole]

[bexVN]

Just witnessed the evil that are Magpies.

Young Starling flew into neighbours conservatory. I went round to let her know so I could rescue the bird and could hear a lot of commotion.

By the time I got there (2 mins) the magpies had swooped down and attacked the bird around the head, adult starlings did their best but were no match, saw one on fence freaking out and looking at the ground where the now almost dead young starling lay. I've removed it to lessen the stress for the (presume parent) adult starling. Magpies still squawking with excitement.

[Pints]

A pretty good rule is "don't interfere with nature".

[Pothole]

Pints said:

A pretty good rule is "don't interfere with nature".

I've tried that logical approach. I don't think it appeals to these numpties.

[bexVN]

Pothole said:

Pints said:

A pretty good rule is "don't interfere with nature".

I've tried that logical approach. I don't think it appeals to these numpties.

Charming! We are not all numpties, generally I agree nature should not be interfered with (and I don't beleive I did) it doesn't mean I have to like all of it, those magpies were brutal and didn't take the bird away to eat it so where's the gain for them?

How far do you go with this rule. should I have refused to euthanase a dying, maggot infested hedgehog at work the other day because technically I was interfering with nature by euthanasing it.

[Pothole]

bexVN said:

Pothole said:

Pints said:

A pretty good rule is "don't interfere with nature".

I've tried that logical approach. I don't think it appeals to these numpties.

Charming! We are not all numpties, generally I agree nature should not be interfered with (and I don't beleive I did) it doesn't mean I have to like all of it, those magpies were brutal and didn't take the bird away to eat it so where's the gain for them?

How far do you go with this rule. should I have refused to euthanase a dying, maggot infested hedgehog at work the other day because technically I was interfering with nature by euthanasing it.

From what you've written you didn't give them the chance to take it away. How far do I go? All the way. Leave them all alone, nature will take its course. It was happening a long time before you appeared and will continue to happen a long time after you disappear. All you're really doing is salving your own misguided conscience as far as I can see.

[OllieC]

I dont think its an issue to put a mortally wounded animal out of its suffering.

but why take food away from something (ie the crow, or the magpies) ?

Incidentally crows are among the most intelligent of animals... I personally quite like them They are known to kill small songbirds, but I cant imagine a crow being able to kill a pigeon, unless it was already on the way out.

nature is cruel, but anyone who is horrified by seeing it in action should take a long hard think about where the food on their plate comes from.

[Pints]

bexVN said:

How far do you go with this rule. should I have refused to euthanase a dying, maggot infested hedgehog at work the other day because technically I was interfering with nature by euthanasing it.

Why was the hedghog maggot infested?