# Dead bird Mystery
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 17, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693 "2017-12-17T02:24:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/1 "2017-12-17T02:24:00Z")
I found a small dead bird on the sidewalk yesterday. The only thing wrong I found was that he appeared the be skinned from the bottom side of his beak to his throat. This morning near by I found the skin and feathers that had been pulled out. It looks as if another pointed beaked bird bit him on the throat and twisted a chunk out of his throat intentionally killing him with no plans to eat. This bird could have been a finch or a cactus wren, Very small size and I haven’t looked it up yet.
My only theory is that a house sparrow stole his nest?? Any other theories.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/2 "2017-12-17T04:24:42Z")
Birds are assholes. No further explanation needed.
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### Author:  [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/3 "2017-12-17T04:27:54Z")
Obviously a satanic ritual.
Be careful.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/4 "2017-12-17T05:07:17Z")
It could have been a hummingbird that did him in. I hear they’re the biggest bastards out of all of the birds.
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### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/5 "2017-12-17T05:59:15Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> It could have been a hummingbird that did him in. I hear they’re the biggest bastards out of all of the birds.
I was reading somewhere about house sparrow killing the smaller occupants of nests and moving in but I have never witnessed it. I am wondering if this is the case. There are some eaves in the building right next to where the bird was found. The eaves are popular nest sites.
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### Author:  [@mr\_horsepower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_horsepower)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/6 "2017-12-17T06:35:56Z")
bluejays are some of the biggest assholes in the bird kingdom. don’t rule them out. they’ll attack/ bully bigger birds, smaller birds, pets & even people. the noises they make are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
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### Author:  [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/7 "2017-12-17T06:40:46Z")
> [@mr\_horsepower](#):
>
> bluejays are some of the biggest assholes in the bird kingdom. don’t rule them out. they’ll attack/ bully bigger birds, smaller birds, pets & even people. the noises they make are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
My cat has become an excellent Blue Jay killer. He takes advantage of their aggressive behavior.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/8 "2017-12-17T06:46:45Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> It could have been a hummingbird that did him in. I hear they’re the biggest bastards out of all of the birds.
Absolutely true.
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### Author:  [@mr\_horsepower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_horsepower)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/9 "2017-12-17T06:51:39Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> It could have been a hummingbird that did him in. I hear they’re the biggest bastards out of all of the birds.
i see your hummingbird, and i raise you this guy
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VklTs-Tid_I)
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### Author:  [@mr\_horsepower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_horsepower)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/10 "2017-12-17T07:09:22Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#):
>
> My cat has become an excellent Blue Jay killer. He takes advantage of their aggressive behavior.
I’ve got a few cats that are decent at bluejay population control as well. they focus mainly on the baby bluejays in spring though.
as soon as i hear the non stop bluejay squawking outside i know exactly what’s happening.
if there’s enough of them dive bombing the cats they’ll just take refugee under one of the cars.
if it were legal to shoot them with a pellet rifle, I’d do it with mine.
until such time, it was a guy i didn’t get a real clear look at that must’ve done it. he went that way.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/11 "2017-12-17T09:34:45Z")
The Cardinal birds in these parts give the Bluejays hell. They compete for nesting in a little stand of willows in my backyard. I used to do bird feeders, but it turn into all out war, so I stopped. Of course, here in Arkansas we had the great ‘birds falling dead out of the sky’ mystery. It wasnt very close to me. I have noticed the odd dead bird, I have never looked for mutilation, though.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/12 "2017-12-17T11:04:27Z")
> [@mr\_horsepower](#):
>
> I’ve got a few cats that are decent at bluejay population control as well. they focus mainly on the baby bluejays in spring though.
>
> as soon as i hear the non stop bluejay squawking outside i know exactly what’s happening.
>
> if there’s enough of them dive bombing the cats they’ll just take refugee under one of the cars.
>
> if it were legal to shoot them with a pellet rifle, I’d do it with mine.
>
> until such time, it was a guy i didn’t get a real clear look at that must’ve done it. he went that way.
Even if it weren’t legal, whom would know? Who cares? Kill those bastards.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/13 "2017-12-17T11:45:10Z")
Sounds like the working Churchill the Cat
[https://goo.gl/images/ctYAAu](https://goo.gl/images/ctYAAu)
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### Author:  [@mr\_horsepower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_horsepower)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/14 "2017-12-17T11:56:09Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> Even if it weren’t legal, whom would know? Who cares? Kill those bastards.
as i understand it, and although they aren’t migratory birds, they are protected under the migratory bird act. that makes it a fedral felony offence to kill them. as such, i would never admit to committing said crime. . …
but i do actually know the guy. and he’s got an air rifle just like mine.
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/15 "2017-12-17T14:22:25Z")
> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Absolutely true.
I got that, you know.
While that golden eagle is certainly being rough on that goat, it’s what they do.
Hummingbirds, on the other hand, will pick fights while humming, ‘fuck you, nonbeliever’ at the top of their little lungs. An old Petersen’s I had once described the Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s temperament as simply, “Pugnacious”.
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### Author:  [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/16 "2017-12-17T15:32:21Z")
I watched [The Life Of Birds](http://www.pbs.org/lifeofbirds/sirdavid/) and came away convinced they are evil, horrible monsters.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/17 "2017-12-18T19:31:44Z")
Fucking owl came down and slaughtered about a dozen chickens, just to eat the crops. Tore the heads off, and scattered the bodies all over the yard.
Asshole.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/18 "2017-12-18T22:11:20Z")
Owls are legit scary! I hate those birds. I do like grackles, crows, ravens, black birds. I want one for a pet. I would teach him to love me and do fun things, if only I could catch one!
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### Author:  [@mr\_horsepower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_horsepower)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2017, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/19 "2017-12-18T22:19:13Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> I do like grackles, crows, ravens, black birds. I want one for a pet. I would teach him to love me and do fun things
careful. Daffy might not like that
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPdHaNr0OAY)
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### Author:  [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-bird-mystery/804693/20 "2017-12-19T00:37:29Z")
If our cattle dog beagle mix ate outside she’d probably catch a bazillion bluejays. She’d lie doggo and grab them when they dived for her food. She’s The quickest dog I’ve ever seen.