What is the likely killer?

[Callender Girl]

Came home to find a dead rooster pheasant in my yard. At first, I thought it was probably killed by a mink because I couldn't see the head. When I picked up the bird, I realized it was just lying on top of its head, with its neck bent.

There was a big chunk out of the pheasant's side and a good deal of meat was missing. That was the only visible injury, and the body was still slightly warm, so it must have been killed in the daylight. Any idea on the likely culprit?

Options here are nearly unlimited: coyotes, feral cats, raccoons, the aforementioned minks, eagles, owls, hawks and who knows what else. BTW, all of my poultry is going to stay in the coops today.

 

[sourland]

If feathers were scattered around, likely a raptor attack.

 

[Callender Girl]

There were some scattered feathers, not nearly as many as when I had a killer mink a few years back. Thanks for the fast response.

There was a rooster pheasant that hung around all through spring and summer. I don't have any way of knowing if it was the same one, but I really looked forward to hearing his call; I called him Sir Reginald.