Any idea what killed this duck? graphic pic

[fireweed farm]

Found this muscovy dead. I've lost plenty of birds over the years but never where the predator ate through the back.
Partially hollowed out.

We have a coyote around but have only ever seen them drag birds off into the bush leaving only feathers, never (yet) eaten beside the house OR left the hollowed out carcass. I figure something else.

Any guesses?

[DaleK]

Bigger bird. Maybe a large owl, hawk, eagle.

[fireweed farm]

Sounds about right. Haven't seen anything hanging around but have had hawk eagle and owl problems previously.

[Forcast]

just watched a hawk take down a pigeon, ( first pigeon I have ever seen in my area), anyway it swooped down and hit the bird on the back neck area with talons out and open and hard as all get out I heard it hit, then a puff of feathers the hawk held on and landed with the bird and bit and pulled feathers from the back neck down to mid back and just kept pulling feathers and skin and flesh. looked a lot like your duck so I would guess another bird did the deed.

[Paumon]

Could be a big bird did that but I've had ducks and other poultry birds killed by raccoons, mink and coydogs that looked exactly like that. When they go through the back like that they're going for the lungs first, I guess the lungs are a delicacy for them.

[brownegg]

This was done by another bird of prey....prolly a hawk...

[sheila57]

that looks just like my chicken after a large hawk got it.

[Batt]

Most of the K9 predators will run off with it. Racoons will eat the head first.

[Fennick]

The location of where you found the duck might tell you something about the nature of the predator that killed it. Did you have to search for the duck? Did you find it out in the open or was it hidden away under bushes? Was it close to the house or coop or was it found at a distance out of sight of your house?

[Scrappy1952]

I have lost 3 chickens in the last week that were done exactly like that duck, and it was done by a Silver Fox. It got into the coop that is completely covered so a hawk could not get in. It ate the heads and gutted the chicken leaving only the empty body. I have seen the fox twice and the tracks are all around the coop.

[smccuen]

Last year I went outside in the morning and found nothing but the cleanly removed head and neck of a young duck. I have no idea what left that and not a sign of the rest of the duck. It was left on the top of a small coop.

[Tiempo]

Hawks go for the back first.

[Astrid]

I'd say a coyote or racoon. I've had them tear our ducks apart like that. racoons are nasty little buggers that are opportunistic feeders.