tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post4341282997131282563..comments2024-03-27T19:59:10.159+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-84678528512714579032017-07-01T01:52:10.772+01:002017-07-01T01:52:10.772+01:00Thanks for this observation. I've several time...Thanks for this observation. I've several times seen Carrion Crows attacking wounded birds. I don't know what state the pigeon here was in before the attack, because I didn't see it from the start, but I would not be at all surprised if the pigeon had shown signs of being an easy victim.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-13309455989613941122017-06-30T17:47:24.065+01:002017-06-30T17:47:24.065+01:00I came across this thread when I googled 'crow...I came across this thread when I googled 'crow pigeon' - it would seem this kind of event is quite common. Yesterday I watched a hooded crow attack a wounded pigeon just outside my house in Helsinki, Finland. The crow was on top of the pigeon and kept pecking away at its head, the pigeon tried many times to get away but the crow kept a firm grip and was relentless in its attack. After a couple of minutes the pigeon's head and neck area was a real mess, I think the crow was actually eating part of the head, presumably the brain. It eventually decapitated the pigeon and immediately flew off with the head in its beak, leaving the carcass in the road. The crow did not return and after four minutes or so a large gull flew down and started devouring the body of the dead pigeon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-846277483841018482017-05-05T02:57:41.150+01:002017-05-05T02:57:41.150+01:00How odd that the carcase should be ignored. Too to...How odd that the carcase should be ignored. Too tough when fresh? A Raven would have had no difficulty here.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-13224735111701201002017-05-05T02:42:46.564+01:002017-05-05T02:42:46.564+01:00How do you do it? Yet again you were in the right ...How do you do it? Yet again you were in the right place at the right time (for the first example of a crow killing a pigeon). I passed by the Lido around three that day and was mystified by the pigeon carcase. Unlike the famous Gull's victims which get comprehensively stripped this just had a chunk of chest missing and there were no corvids or gulls taking an interest in the potential feast. Your observation solved the mystery of how it happened and left me intrigued as to why it was being ignored. Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529596094957534682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-89608649024300797562017-05-04T23:17:09.894+01:002017-05-04T23:17:09.894+01:00Mine too. Who needs Nightingales when we have crea...Mine too. Who needs Nightingales when we have creative Blackbirds and silly exultant Song Thrushes?Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-58318928236061275932017-05-04T21:49:29.375+01:002017-05-04T21:49:29.375+01:00Nice tale; personally never had much truck with sa...Nice tale; personally never had much truck with saints. <br />Blackbirds' song is my favourite of all, I think. Ulrikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06022985141813875238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-10359827854876578482017-05-04T01:43:30.284+01:002017-05-04T01:43:30.284+01:00No, they don't. I did once know a very confide...No, they don't. I did once know a very confident Blackbird who tried to land on my hand. She fell off. So we never tried again.<br /><br />But there is the legend of St Kevin, now the patron saint of Dublin. One day he was praying with hands outstretched, and a Blackbird landed and laid an egg on his hand. He kept his hand still, and she laid more eggs and sat on them until they hatched, with the patient saint keeping his hand open for her all the while. Don't know what happened when he had to sleep.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-62409207887186984632017-05-03T23:48:07.766+01:002017-05-03T23:48:07.766+01:00I can't remember if you mentioned this before:...I can't remember if you mentioned this before: the blackbirds that accept sultanas don't come to your hand, do they? Usually being ground feeders, I mean.Ulrikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06022985141813875238noreply@blogger.com