Identify this predator?

[ATXchickchick]

I was checking out my space for my coop and run this morning to prep for construction and saw this on the railing around the area. Anyone see something similar before? Any idea what predator would do this? Or what happened? I’m assume it was a little bird that was attacked, but there are some full length feathers on the ground too. No body to be found. I was feeling pretty confident in my coop/run-to-be, but this feels like a bad omen.

 

[sourland]

Very likely a raptor kill. Cooper's hawk would be on the top of the list around here.

 

[ATXchickchick]

Very likely a raptor kill. Cooper's hawk would be on the top of the list around here.

Thanks for the reply. I have seen some birds of prey swooping around the area. Makes sense. It was just under tree cover, but I suppose the hawk could’ve taken the bird out of the tree?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Does that look like what's left of a blue bird???

 

[ATXchickchick]

Does that look like what's left of a blue bird???

Oh man, I don’t know. I didn’t see any blue feathers though??

 

[mowin]

I agree. Looking like a raptor.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My old cat would leave similar messes before I decided to bring him indoors to spare the songbirds.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My cat would leave messes, but not on a railing. Raptor. That looks like a strike from above.

 

[cmom]

If you have a game camera, put it up. Most likely once it has made a kill it will be back. I had an owl that was killing some birds. When I discovered it, I put heavy duty netting up covering all of my pens and haven't had a loss since.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My cat would leave messes, but not on a railing. Raptor. That looks like a strike from above.

My cat did on our deck. Looked just like this, which is what struck me when I first saw this. But a raptor would, too.