It’s time for another round of Ask a Bird Nerd! Today’s question comes from Myles M., who asks:
Recently we have been finding beheaded pigeons on our street near Lincoln Square. Our prime suspect is a hawk, which we have watched devouring a pigeon in the tree outside our window (we have a video if you're interested). I can understand eating the whole thing, but why leave the headless pigeons all over the street? Just to freak us out?
Cooper’s Hawk eating the carcass of a Rock Pigeon in a tree. Video by Emrhys M.
Several predatory birds, including hawks and owls, have been known to decapitate their prey for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons this may be done is simply to make a quick kill. Going for the head is sometimes the easiest way for a raptor to take down prey, especially if they are swooping down from above to catch it. Tearing off the head of the prey once caught would make for a quick, easy, and successful hunt. But why only consume the head and not the rest of the body in some cases?
Well, as the old saying goes, it’s not what’s on the outside, but on the inside that counts.
Cooper’s Hawk eating from the body of a Mourning Dove. Photo by Salah Baazizi.
The brain of an animal, whether it be pigeon, another kind of bird, or even a non-bird animal, is rich in nutrition. With high protein levels and fat contained in the brain, hawks and owls going for the heads would not only make for a simple hunt, but one that would sustain them until the next meal.
Another reason, as observed with Great-horned Owls, is that it’s easier to carry a part of the body than the whole carcass to a nest. This behavior is especially common for owls in the winter when feeding their young. The head is not the only body part that may be severed, as wings and legs may also be cut off for the same reason.
It’s clear how birds of prey are able to remove the heads so effectively as well. With their hooked beaks and sharp talons, hawks and owls are able to twist the head to cut off circulation, break the neck, and finally tear the head off. With the high nutrition and protein content of the head, and the ease of decapitating the prey, predatory birds may choose to be efficient hunters, leaving the headless carcasses behind.
Great-horned Owl with the remains of a Least Bitten in its beak. Photo by Bob Quarles.
Thanks for the question and the video, Myles and Emrhys! Got any questions about birds that you’d love to have us answer? Send them to us using the Google Form linked below, and we’ll do our best to answer them in the future! Happy birding!
Additional Resources
What is beheading the birds in our Pennsylvania backyard? - Penn Live Patriot-News, March 31, 2010
Shocking Video Shows Hawk Beheading Its Prey - National Geographic, November 30, 2017
9 animals that decapitate their prey in the most gruesome ways - nature at its most brutal - Discover Wildlife, January 31, 2026
What Animal Eats Just the Head of a Chicken? Identifying These Brutal Predators - Tatnuck Meat and Seafood
Header image of a Red-tailed Hawk eating from the carcass of an American Crow by Jesse Gordon.