Redtail Hawk as Prey?

[Butch627]

I was riding my mountian bike down a trail alongside a creek. The creek was dredged about 20 years ago and the remenants of a dirt road along side of it still remain. I came upon a pile of feathers, the only other thing was a intact wing which I am positive was the ring of a Redtail Hawk. Going down a ways further I found 2 more piles of feathers. Within about 500 ft there were 3 seperate piles of feathers from what I believe was the hawk and 3 dead raccoons. Other than the intact wing and feathers I found no other parts of the hawk. The wing almost looked like it had been cut away from the bird with a knife. I couldn't find any blood from the hawk anywhere. Ive been riding this area for years and seldom see any dead animals along the trail.

I took some pictures of the wing and feathers, but I am a borderline computer tard and haven't figured out how to post them up. As unusual as finding the dead hawk was I find the 3 dead raccoons just as puzzling. The raccoons were all adults. Im thinking a larger raptor might have caused the carnage, but what do you guys think?? This took place between Cedar Lake and Lowell in Lake county.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Wouldn't surprise me if a coyote could get lucky with a RT hawk already on the ground and engrossed in eating a meal...

Also, perhaps a great horned owl or even a bald eagle. Or even another RT defending territory (another INGOer posted a few pics of a deadly battle between two of 'em not too long ago)

Could even be that the hawk was somehow injured by it's prey, or was at the end of it's life and died there.

Who knows for sure, though.

-J-

 

[shooter521]

I found a couple wings off what I thought might have been a Cooper's hawk near the retention pond behind our house a couple years ago. No other parts left other than some random feathers.

Great Horned Owl was my first guess, as I know we have them in the area as well, and they'll eat just about anything they can kill.

 

[JStarr]

Maybe the hawk ate 3 racoons and could no longer fly due to its weight and a coyote, fox, or Mt. lion came along and ate him lol

 

[Butch627]

Maybe the hawk ate 3 racoons and could no longer fly due to its weight and a coyote, fox, or Mt. lion came along and ate him lol

LOL thats one explanation I hadn't considered.


I rode by there a week later. I think the coyotes found the spot. All 3 coons were gone and there were only a couple of bird feathers left. The lack of blood and animal matter on my first visit to the site really makes me think it was a larger raptor that took down the Redtail. The woods surrounding the area are pretty dense and seemingly not an ideal spot for a coyote to hunt. The canopy of trees is very open right there and it would be easy for a bird to swoop down.

Im not discounting the Great Horned Owl, but are there any other birds in the area (Lake County NWI) that could take down a Redtail?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Im thinking a larger raptor might have caused the carnage, but what do you guys think??

Northern Goshawk.

Very aggressive, attack smaller raptors and raccoons.