This is a bit bizarre – there’s an article in today’s National about a police investigation, triggered by the discovery of a dead buzzard that had been tied to a tree and found hanging.
Police Scotland say that their enquiries show the buzzard had died of natural causes before being tied to the tree.
Here’s the article, written by Laura Webster:
POLICE have launched an investigation after a dead buzzard was discovered hanging from a tree.
According to investigating officers, the bird, found in Fife, died from natural causes before being strung up.
A member of the public spotted the buzzard close to the cycle path from Tayport to Newport on Monday.
Fife’s wildlife crimes liaison officer, Constable Ben Pacholek, said:
“Our enquiries show that the buzzard died from natural causes before being tied to the tree. But this was a reckless and needless act, leaving a dead bird hanging in a public place that has caused distress within the local community.
I would urge members of the public to be respectful and considerate towards wildlife at all times. All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
If anyone knows anything about what happened or saw anything suspicious, then please contact us on 101.”
ENDS
Raptor Persecution UK 
Natural causes….what like, after being poisoned or beaten about the head. ?
Presumably (hopefully) as part of the police investigation the buzzard was sent off for a post mortem to confirm natural causes.
Very sharp result from the post mortem. ACW.
So it’s the usual. “Nothing to see here keep moving “.message from the police !
Really? That’s not the message I got.
RPUK – Neither did I get that sort of message.
I find it probable that the police believe that someone, up to no good, has found an opportunity to use a dead bird to create a particular effect in order generate fear / annoyance etc.
Exactly. And prior to that, to determine whether the bird died of natural or unnatural causes, presumably the police sent the bird for a post mortem. That’s an active investigation, not a message of ‘nothing to see here keep moving’ as Kevin claims.
Interesting. On my way back from a ringing session this morning I found the remains of a Buzzard on a grass verge. I noticed some feathers sticking up and stopped to have a look. Given that I have driven that same stretch several times in the last few days, I am surprised I hadn’t noticed it before.
On examination, the body had been scavenged down to the bone, disarticulated and spread around. One of the wings had feathers attached (the other wing was missing, presumed scavenged) and tail feathers were still attached to appropriate bits of the skeleton, and no sign of the head. From what little was left, it was hard to distinguish whether there was any foul play involved, and so little flesh left for a potential toxicology test.
However, within a couple of hundred metres of where this was found there are 3 fox carcasses dumped on the roadside. This is in the Braydon Forest area of north Wiltshire. Worrying
Probably a road kill and certainly then eaten by a fox ,they do like the heads.
I cant understand why some people hang dead things up, theres often moles in Cumbria on barbed wire fences, just put them back in the ground and get a couple of ounces of fertilizer, I suppose its proof to the farmer that the mole catcher has caught the moles, just hand him in the bodys or the lack of mole heaps is proof that the moles have gone. Gibbets remind me of the film Tarka the Otter when Tarkas Mother was trapped then hung up dripping blood, with the haunting voice of Peter Ustinov, saying Tarkas Mother was dead, bloody sad part.
I have over the years seen the odd Buzzard dead on the sides of motorways and main roads. Barn Owls are very often seen dead on the M6 and A66.
I would be surprised if it is road kill: it is a very quiet road, just a few cars every hour.
Barn Owls are far and away the largest cohort of reported casualties that we get from ringing recoveries: mainly traffic.
Raymond C – that reminds me of the traditional gamekeeper’s gibbet, as I believe it was called, proof of his industry. A search will find details.
Hanging a dead animal from a tree, fence or any other structure, just shows the depravity and lack of compassion of some human beings!
Such behaviour is likely to cause distress to many members of the public; as well as the dead carcass being a potential environmental hazard.
I note early this year Gloucestershire Police issued a Community Alert following dead moles being hung up on a fence. The matter upset some people and was deemed anti-social behaviour.
Unfortunately there are still some in the countryside who seem incapable of moving foreword from the barbaric practices of a less educated era!!