Large Black bird eats other birds?
Forum rules
Same as all HTUK forums, be courteous, polite and tolerant, remember everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if you don't agree with it
Same as all HTUK forums, be courteous, polite and tolerant, remember everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if you don't agree with it
Large Black bird eats other birds?
I was working in my garden yesterday, when I saw a large black bird (not sure of the name, but it is the larger of the 2 black bird species in my area), swoop down and attack a small baby brown bird that had just started to learn to fly
it then flew off with the baby bird squeeking.... I never knew that those birds ate other birds?
it then flew off with the baby bird squeeking.... I never knew that those birds ate other birds?
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
Crows are always attacking pigeons here. Ripping them to pieces. Had a pigeon carcass drop on my conservatory roof. Not that I have any pity for the pigeons they're often eating the bird food I leave out for the smaller birds, and they seem to insist on pooping everywhere.
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
That'll probably be Crows with a 2 1/2 ft wingspan. They are 'Carrion Crows' but at this time of year take young birds to feed their young.
Cruel as it may seem, if every baby bird survived, we'd be overrun with them in 2 or 3 years.
I watched a programme last night on Yellowstone Park re-introduction of the Wolf. Many said it would destroy the ecology, but exactly the opposite occurred. I'll start another topic on that subject as I think it worth of it's own thread
Basically a thriving eclology has a balance between predators and prey. Mess up the balance and it all goes wrong.
Cruel as it may seem, if every baby bird survived, we'd be overrun with them in 2 or 3 years.
I watched a programme last night on Yellowstone Park re-introduction of the Wolf. Many said it would destroy the ecology, but exactly the opposite occurred. I'll start another topic on that subject as I think it worth of it's own thread
Basically a thriving eclology has a balance between predators and prey. Mess up the balance and it all goes wrong.
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
They won't attack healthy Pigeons as a Pigeon will easily outfly a Crow. It will be the sick, dying, or dead.RogerBacardy wrote:Crows are always attacking pigeons here. Ripping them to pieces. Had a pigeon carcass drop on my conservatory roof. Not that I have any pity for the pigeons they're often eating the bird food I leave out for the smaller birds, and they seem to insist on pooping everywhere.
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
Magpies are just as bad, we watched a pair of bluetits build a nest in the gap behind a pipe on our back wall a couple of year ago, a while later we watched the parents fly in and out the nest with food ( just above us if we were sitting outside) I came in from work one afternoon and saw a fledgling sitting on the edge of the gap, all fluffy feathers and flapping his wings and off he went, it was a short fleight as he landed on my fence looking around in bewilderment and down swooped a magpie, held him down with his claws and ripped him to pieces, this happened another 3 times as the others fledged, i was distraught, i even thought the last one had escaped as he flew down into the undergrowth of the ivy, i heard him chirping, then it went quiet and the magpie flew up once again with meat in his beak for his young. hub blocked the gaps behind the pipework after that, I couldn't watch that again, it broke my heart..
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
A Raven?
Dee, my sister once found four fledglings dead on the concrete path (no back garden) We think they fell out the nest.
I hate nature that kills another. I remember all too clearly Sir David Attenborough's' Life in the Freezer' where a polar was starving. The polar went to find food and argued with a Walrus family.
Next scene it lay dead....
Dee, my sister once found four fledglings dead on the concrete path (no back garden) We think they fell out the nest.
I hate nature that kills another. I remember all too clearly Sir David Attenborough's' Life in the Freezer' where a polar was starving. The polar went to find food and argued with a Walrus family.
Next scene it lay dead....
- Yorkshire Kris
- Posts: 10163
- Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
kata wrote:A Raven?
Dee, my sister once found four fledglings dead on the concrete path (no back garden) We think they fell out the nest.
I hate nature that kills another. I remember all too clearly Sir David Attenborough's' Life in the Freezer' where a polar was starving. The polar went to find food and argued with a Walrus family.
Next scene it lay dead....
Tis nature though. Animals eat other animals unless they have the choice like humans which don't need to eat other animals to survive.
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
Where do you see Ravens? I've only seen them at the Tower of London.kata wrote:A Raven?
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
There are a family of ravens living somewhere here in St Denys, Southampton.
I see them quite often and it looks like 2 of these are adult birds and the other 3 are youngsters.
They are easy to seperate from the Carrion crow by their much larger size,different tail feathers and voice.
Carrion crows and jackdaws are common here as well along with rooks.
billdango
I see them quite often and it looks like 2 of these are adult birds and the other 3 are youngsters.
They are easy to seperate from the Carrion crow by their much larger size,different tail feathers and voice.
Carrion crows and jackdaws are common here as well along with rooks.
billdango
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
Ravens are starting to return to populated areas in a few places after centuries of human persecution, but in general they're still very rare away from remote (mainly upland) regions. You're very lucky if you have them around, superb birds.billdango wrote:There are a family of ravens living somewhere here in St Denys, Southampton.
I see them quite often and it looks like 2 of these are adult birds and the other 3 are youngsters.
They are easy to seperate from the Carrion crow by their much larger size,different tail feathers and voice.
Crows are abundant in urban areas everywhere.
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
I did'nt say I had seen any Dave, just asked the question.. But Bill says they are in st Denys, also Conifers says they are returning.Where do you see Ravens? I've only seen them at the Tower of London.
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
The Raven population has increased significantly in the Peak District, where they can be seen in numerous places.
Re: Large Black bird eats other birds?
Plenty of Ravens around here, always seen at Arne RSPB (Poole), Durlston CP (Swanage), Wareham forest and on the top of Corfe Castle (nesting).
They have a large beak compared to a Crow and are often heard first, id'd by their 'honk' rather than a Crows 'caw'.
Durlston CP cliffs last month.
They seeem to be quietly increasing in mumber, but unlikely to visit a garden.
They have a large beak compared to a Crow and are often heard first, id'd by their 'honk' rather than a Crows 'caw'.
Durlston CP cliffs last month.
They seeem to be quietly increasing in mumber, but unlikely to visit a garden.