What killed my ducks??? Please help 😢😢

[Hallen]

I’m posting a picture for reference. I apologize, it’s very graphic.
My ducks were killed this morning between around 8am-11am. We have never lost any ducks this way… I am trying to determine what type of predator could have killed them in such a terrible way— all the skin/muscle/etc is gone from their necks and only the spine is left. Heads and bodies are in tact. Feathers everywhere from what appears to be a fight.

 

[nuthatched]

I'm sorry for your loss. It could be coon, is the crop gone?

 

[Hallen]

I'm sorry for your loss. It could be coon, is the crop gone?

I believe so. All I could see that was left was all bony spine. I messaged the Waterfoul rescue in my area also, to see if they had any ideas and they said that it could be a hawk. Do you think a hawk could do this?

 

[Themellowyellows]

I dont think thats possible for a halk, halks would take the entire body. Im very very sorry for your loss. Any others hurt or injured?

@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
@azygous
@LaFleche

 

[Hallen]

I dont think thats possible for a halk, halks would take the entire body. Im very very sorry for your loss. Any others hurt or injured?

@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive
@azygous
@LaFleche

It’s so awful. None of the others are hurt at all. We have lost ducks in the past, but the ones we have lost previously were gone without a trace. This is such an awful and graphic scene, I just want to figure out what could possibly do this during the day time so I can remove it.

 

[azygous]

I vote hawk.

 

[Miss Lydia]

A hawk will kill 4 ducks in one attack?

 

[azygous]

A hawk will nibble on a kill, selecting parts from the head first, working its way down the spinal cord. The hawk often hangs around close by as it feeds. Mammals tend to carry their kill away or bury it.

Buzzards and crows and ravens will finish it off. These birds should be invited to hang around because they will drive out the hawks. I used to have a big, big hawk problem until I encouraged these scavengers by disposing of rats and mice where they can find them. When a hawk happens by, they will chase it off.

Four? Dogs will do that, as well as a pack of coyotes.

 

[Hallen]

A hawk will nibble on a kill, selecting parts from the head first, working its way down the spinal cord. The hawk often hangs around close by as it feeds. Mammals tend to carry their kill away or bury it.

Buzzards and crows and ravens will finish it off. These birds should be invited to hang around because they will drive out the hawks. I used to have a big, big hawk problem until I encouraged these scavengers by disposing of rats and mice where they can find them. When a hawk happens by, they will chase it off.

Four? Dogs will do that, as well as a pack of coyotes.

The spinal cord seems to line up with what you are saying a hawk would do. But yes, four of the ducks have been killed. Is it possible for there to be.. idk.. multiple hawks??? I really don’t know.

If hawk.. are there other ways of keeping hawks away?? We do not have many mice/rats around.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I dont think thats possible for a halk, halks would take the entire body. Im very very sorry for your loss. Any others hurt or injured?

I vote Hawk too.
Hawks often pluck the feathers, and they are not big enough or strong enough to fly off with the entire body.

Taking an entire body would be in line with Fox, Coyote, Dog, Bobcat.