Mysterious Predator

[Danalaia]

I've been searching through different sites but haven't had any luck matching the predator that has been attacking my birds.
I'm from portugal so there are no predators such as Racoons or big felines. There are indeed, foxes(rarely), wild and domestic dogs/cats, hawks, owls and other birds of prey, possibly snakes but very rarely.

This is what has been happening:

First It was one of my geese. The goose appeared without head and all it's entrails were gone. Everything else was left untouched, the meaty parts, everything.
After this first attack there have been two more attacks. Two ducks and three chicken have suffered a similar fate. The head of all these animals was completely gone (including neck, and no trace of the head anywhere) but this time the viscera was not eaten, and a little bit of flesh (from the bottom/belly zone) was eaten, but very little of it.
During these last attacks the chicken's eggs completely dissapeared without any trace too.

Can anyone tell me what I'm facing? I'm starting to despair. Thanks in advance.

 

[redsoxs]

If you lived in the us I would say a raccoon or a possum. In Portugal? Anyway you can live trap the culprit (assuming it's not a bird)? Good luck to you!

 

[hogster160]

I'm not to sure if this will help you, or if you have seen this already, but it was posted in another thread, see link below. I sure hope you find out what it is so you can keep your animals safe!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/730582/indiana-bycers-here/7650#post_11314275

Deb

 

[centrarchid]

A mustelid or large owl could be culprit. You could have have European or American mink as mustelids. Do you have eagle owls in your area?

 

[Danalaia]

I'm not to sure if this will help you, or if you have seen this already, but it was posted in another thread, see link below. I sure hope you find out what it is so you can keep your animals safe!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/730582/indiana-bycers-here/7650#post_11314275

Deb

Thanks, so from all the sources I checked it was either an owl, or some sort of mustelid. But I'm still in doubt because these are rare animals where I live

A mustelid or large owl could be culprit. You could have have European or American mink as mustelids. Do you have eagle owls in your area?

Yes! Though rare, eagle owl is one of the species that can be found here.

If you lived in the us I would say a raccoon or a possum. In Portugal? Anyway you can live trap the culprit (assuming it's not a bird)? Good luck to you!

They are in a quite open space (around 150 by 50) wich makes that kind of hard. This space is enclosed by a strong wire net

 

[Danalaia]

I don't know why my father didn't tell this to me before, but apparently all the chicken's eggs also dissapeared without any trace.

 

[centrarchid]

Eggs being removed is not consistent with owl but more than one culprit could be involved. For me, when great-horned owl (our smaller version of your eagle owl) visits I can usually count on red fox to come in an hour so later. Fox checks disturbances for what owl disrupts or leaves behind.

Do not use apparent rarity as reason to discount potential visitor. Setting out traps needed for fox and / or critter camera could at least enable seeing who is visiting.