Bird storing dead rodents question?

[bela0023]

Yesterday I was cleaning out a bluebird house (I know should've been done last fall) and I came upon a dead star nosed mole and a dead shrew in the box. Any idea what bird would do this? I know Northern Shrikes will hang a dead mouse or whatever on a thorn in a shrub, but I've never heard of a bird storing dead rodents in a bird house.

Thanks for any help!

[Steve Foss]

I suppose it could be a shrike. Could also be a weasel, if the pole to the house is made of stuff a weasel could climb. Could also be that one went in looking for shelter from the cold and died, and then the other went in for the same reason later, and died too.

[myotis7119]

I'd like to also suggest the possibility of a screech owl. They like to store rodents into openings in dead wood so I would think they might try to do the same with a bluebird house, just unaware that they would be unable to get it back out.

[bela0023]

Thanks for the good ideas on what was storing the dead rodents. It could possibly be a weasel, the houses are on wooden poles and it is on my to-do list in the next couple weeks to put guards on the poles. And it is possible that 2 animals crawled in there for warmth and died, but what are the odds of 2 animals doing it in the same house the same winter? Sounds like maybe powerball odds!

I'll just have to keep watching to see what animals I see out there!

[Meaney]

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[Steve Foss]

Meaney, posting someone else's image without their permission is a copyright infringement. If you have permission from the photographer to post the image, you should also put in the photographer's name. If you don't have permission, please remove the image.

Thanks, man.