Dead rat outside house ?

Jethro_uk · 2012-10-31T15:13:58+00:00

Got home last night, and my eye caught a shape on the ground. Turned out to be a dead rat (I think it was a rat ... or a big mouse). Since we don't have a cat (although there are neighbourhood cats) I'm not sure what to make of it. It was quickly bagged and binned and a passing glance didn't seem to show any signs of violence, but I really wasn't motivated to perform a rat autopsy.We had a rat issue a few years ago. Council expert came round, and pointed out that while we kept all rubbish in proper bins with lids, both neighbours didn't - they just left black bags in their back yards, and rats were happily running along our garden wall between the two. A series of poison boxes on the rat run, and a word with neighbours seemed to fix things.Anyway, is funding a dead rat outside your house something to be of concern or is it not too unusual ?

Oct 31, 2012 25 Replies

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Dave Liquorice 13 years ago

Unless your Barn Owls are somewhat larger than ours I wouldn't expect a Barn Owl to be able to take anything larger than what we term "pocket buns" ie a baby rabbit on it's first venture outside the burrow. Even then I think a Barn Owl would struggle.

Biggest bird of prey we have around here is the Buzzard, they will take adult rabbits, wing span 4 to 5'. The UK has a few places with Golden Eagles, they will take small lambs, wing span 6'+. Bald Eagles are bit larger maybe 7'+ wing span.

Something is, a Barn Owl is

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The Natural Philosopher 13 years ago

They do. The are really mice killers.

We have buzzards in UK as well - similar size..maybe smaller. I think ours live on pigeons mainly. Least-ways I've seen many dismembered pigeon carcases littering the place.

But a peregrine can take a pigeon and we have those too, as well as red kites..

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Dave Liquorice 13 years ago

I am in the UK and that is reference to our Buzzard. B-) We aren't that far from where there are supposed to be Golden Eagles but I've never seen one.

No pigeons around here.

Think I'd put money on the dead pigeons being down to the Peregrine's rather than the Buzzards.

Red Kites are bigger than Buzzards but are not a hunter, the are savengers.

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newshound 13 years ago

Depends *entirely* on where you are. Here in mid Gloucestershire nearest Peregrines I know of are 25 miles away on the Bristol tower blocks and maybe cliffs at Symonds Yat. Plenty of buzzards in the woods, though. They take both rabbits and pigeons.

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