What took my hen?
Stealthy Nocturnal Predators of the Scottish Highlands
Nestled amidst the rugged terrain of a picturesque Ross-shire Glen, I live and work amidst the occassional roar of a rutting stag.
We are now past the shortest day. The nights drawn in, and the sun has dipped below the hills - out of sight, but for the odd glimse, until late February. My hens seem happy, pecking about in the frost of the morning. They still have a good amount of pasture to cluck about in, and a backdrop of hills dusted with the snows of winter in the landscape of the Scottish Highlands doesn’t seem to phase them.
I have an electronic door on my hen house one of these new technological wonders, so I no longer don’t need to scurry out and close in my hens, I can know they do that themselves…. or can I?
Taken
Hmmm - well… not 1 but 4 were taken last night. They hadn’t made it back into the coop afterall. Looking around, I wondered if I could I figure out which of a host of stealthy, night-hunting predators that prowl the darkened moor and woodland, might have come last night for my birds?
Lets take a look at these creatures of the night.
The Silent Stalker: The Scottish Wildcat
My neighbour swears she has got some recent footage of a wildcat on her wildlife camera. I’m not so sure of this. Amongst the many enigmatic creatures that call the Highlands home, the Scottish wildcat stands out as a symbol of elusive elegance. This feline, resembling its domestic cousins, is a master of stealth and patience. It possesses a remarkable ability to hunt under the cloak of darkness. It would certainly be more than capable of swiping four hens last night. The Scottish wildcat's exceptional night vision and keen sense of smell make it a formidable hunter during the nocturnal hours. Its solitary nature and preference for stealthy ambushes help it secure prey like rabbits, voles, and birds.
However, I think the culprite unlikely - mostly because I’m not convinced we have a wildcat in this area.
The Ghostly Specter: The Barn Owl
A true phantom of the night, the barn owl haunts the Highlands with its ghostly appearance and eerie calls. Its heart-shaped face, designed for impeccable night vision, allows it to hunt small mammals with astonishing precision. Barn owls are highly skilled night hunters. Their ability to fly silently and pinpoint prey by sound alone makes them formidable predators of the nocturnal world. However, Owls tend to take one bird at a time, so not our likely accused.
Aquatic Opportunists: The European Otter
While otters are not commonly associated with poultry predation, they are known to be opportunistic hunters. In certain areas near water bodies, otters can be drawn to hen houses, and further west in the glen where I live - they have definately been seen creeping up the wee burn from the loch, towards the hen house. However, there are a lack of Otter tracks or droppings near our coop and we are a way away from the river so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an otter.
Diggers in the Darkness: Scottish Badgers
Badgers might have been a real contender were it not for the fact there was no evidence of digging. Evidence of badger activity around a henhouse might have included burrow entrances near our perimeter fencing , as badgers are skilled and pawing their way into the ground, though they are also excellent climbers and would also have been able to scale the fence. Badgers are omnivorous creatures that occasionally target poultry, particularly when other food sources are scarce. However they almost certainly would have left behind scattered feathers or partially consumed prey and all these hens had simply disappeered.
This leaves us with the two most likely culprits
The Night-time Prowler: The European Pine Marten
Pine martens are primarily active during the night, using their acute senses to detect prey such as rodents, birds, and insects. Their nimble agility allows them to navigate the forest canopy silently. They are however known to kill but not necessarily take all the prey.
The Enigmatic Predator: The Scottish Wild Fox
Among the most enigmatic night hunters of the Highlands is the Scottish wild fox, an elusive and adaptable creature. Foxes are true opportunists, and the night offers them the cover they need to hunt. Their cunning and resourcefulness make them well-suited for nocturnal activities and add to this foxes are capable of taking the prey away and returning time and again.
So… Whilst I have seen pine martins in my garden I have never seen a fox, but nevertheless this is probably the most likely contender.
I will need to be checking on my hens more regularly in the future to ensure they find their way inside at night and don’t attract any more attention.
Spread the word - Share our newsletter
Imogen Furlong is the High Life Highland Countryside Ranger Manager. Her role primarily involves nurturing a deep-seated passion for the wildlife of the Scottish Highlands and advancing environmental conservation through educational initiatives.