owls?

[roocrazy]

would they eat a whole goose?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Not at one sitting, even I couldn't eat a whole goose, but once it is dead what does it matter?

 

[gg61501]

I'm no wildlife expert, but I imagine it would be tough for an owl to take down a goose...unless it's a very small goose/gosling. A mature goose is much bigger than most owls -- so I'd think a smart owl would tend to not mess with them.

But hey -- it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong today.

 

[sourland]

A female Great Horned Owl is fully capable of killing a mature turkey or goose. In the name of safety, they prefer smaller prey, but will tackle larger if hungry enough. Because they could not lift such a large prey animal, they will eat at the kill site, returning until all is eaten.

 

[destiny_56085]

Well..... You live in my neck of the woods. In the last 2 months we have lost 8 cayugas, a pair of east indies, 10+ exhibition rouens, a few mallards, and at least 16 geese. The geese were not small either.... 7 of them were domestic canadians and the rest were exhibition africans. At first I thought it was coyotes or fox like last year. The birds were in a 1+ acre pen with a 5' fence. Last year I found coyote tracks and my brothers were able to shoot 22 coyote and 8 fox in our area. This year was confusing because there have been no tracks or feather trails. Well on sunday morning, I finally saw what has been doing it. A bald eagle is sitting in the field adjacent to us with one of our canadian geese. White head, white tail feathers, huge wing span, and less than 100' from where I was standing. They are apparently strong enough to pick up a 20+ pound goose very easy. Arghhh they are federally protected and no way I can just get rid of the eagle. So now 2 of my silkie pens in the barn have been taken over by what's left....7 africans, 1 emden, 1 canadian, 1 rouen, and 2 muscovies.

 

[DaveK]

Quote:
Not at one sitting, even I couldn't eat a whole goose, but once it is dead what does it matter?

I'm ROFLMAO!! Too funny. But yes, even though you found it's an eagle carrying off the whole works (a friend has had that problem) a Great Horned Owl is totally capable of killing a full grown goose of any breed. What they tend to do though, especially on first visit, is take the head and neck leaving the body laying there.

 

[featherbaby]

Quote:
Let me assure you a bald eagle can lift way more than 20 pounds off the ground. When I was in college (Auburn University) their mascot was a bald eagle....a real one named "War Eagle". I was dating a guy whose fraternity was responsible for taking care of the bird. He asked me one day if I'd like to come with him to feed it and subsequently asked if I would like to hold it on my arm. I was 19 or 20 and 120 pounds (Ahh the good old days.....) at the time. They put this massive leather arm guard on my arm and placed him on my arm. Well golly gee, nobody told me how freekin' heavy a bald eagle was!!!! So I dipped my arm under the weight just a little. The eagle, who had been 'round the block a few times I'd guess, thought I was going to drop him and immediately spread out his 7 foot wingspan (would have been more except they trim some of the flight feathers to discourage escape) and beat the air about 5 times. At that point he was lifting me bodily off the ground by my arm. The guys were laughing their butts off while I was having my shoulder dislocated by the biggest Pteradactyl I'd ever seen and I was actually being lifted off my feet. At this point they pulled my arm down and separated the raptor from his prey (me). I went to the infirmary and didn't speak to them for quite some time.

Yes, folks.....there is an eagle out there big enough to take a 20 pound goose away, without even breathing hard.

True story.

 

[roocrazy]

thank you only some of her back meat was gone and she must have been sleeping. We have two owls living in the abondoned barn next to us.