I pulled into my driveway about an hour ago, maybe 1 1/2 hrs. after dark, and saw something large on the ground just above the terrace in my front yard. As I continued up the driveway and got nearer I saw it was a large bird, and it tried to fly with something in it's grasp. It couldn't, dropped it, and flew off into the night. I could see as it did that it was large owl, which I assume was a Great Horned Owl, as I have been hearing one near my house at night lately.
I saw that it left something on the ground when it flew off so I stopped my truck and walked around to see what it had killed. I was stunned when I picked up the headless body, and in the dim light from my yard lights, saw it was another raptor. At first I thought it was a big red-tailed hawk, and then noticed that it was headless. I looked on the ground and saw a big ball of feathers, which I picked up. To my utter surprise it was the head of another really big owl. I tossed body and head over in the back of my truck. I'll look more closely at it tomorrow morning, to determine what species of owl it is.
This Great Horned Owl had killed another big owl in my front yard, cut it's head off, and was about to have supper, I guess, when I drove in. Amazing what things I see out here in the sticks.
Anybody else ever seen a raptor kill another raptor for food? Or, maybe to eliminate the competition?
SRH
