Something just died in the woods outside. It's almost 1 a.m. here and I was outside,

[Flaxbee]

putting fresh bird seed in the feeder... heard a rather prolonged chattering shriek. Have no idea what just became dinner, but we're in rural northwestern Virginia - fox got something? There are definitely red foxes around here, but I'm not sure what else predatory is out and about in these parts.

Anyway. It is the cycle of life, but still...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Oh, my dear Flaxbee...

That would freak me out. It has to be tough, listening to something become dinner...

[Flaxbee]

3. did freak me out - scared me, to be honest, at first because the woods are right *there* off the

front porch.

poor little critter.

I've heard red foxes call (it's sort of blood curdling) but hadn't ever really heard someone become dinner before...

Thanks for the

[XemaSab]

2. You sure they're not making babies?

[Flaxbee]

4. no, I think this was distress

But if they were making babies - that's much better!

[RebelOne]

5. Could have been cats making babies

or a female cat in heat. They can make quite a lot of noise. I had a female cat once, and after her first heat, I got her to the vet to be spayed. She screamed and cried all day and night.

[Flaxbee]

8. I am all too familiar with those cat sounds, and this was definitely not that.

Our NoviGirl kitty brought us her three babies years ago (we kept the whole family) and Novi went back into heat while she was still nursing -- so couldn't have her spayed, but lordy did she make noise. Even after she was spayed she must have given off certain pheromones for a while because our (neutered) male would bite her neck and mount her (as if either of them had working equipment!) and the caterwauling was impressive.

This was death, or a fight. It was pretty quick, so I'm thinking death/dinner.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

6. Lots of new birdies learning to fly... they cant always get away fast enough.

For being little birds, alot of em make a pretty good shriek when a cat or dog/fox gets ahold of one. Yesterday, there were a handful of small Cardinals in my back yard that couldn't fly more than a few inches/feet in the air at a time. I had to shoo neighborhoods cats away with a broom. I noticed them because I was mowing the lawn and they were in the way. Good thing I noticed them.

[Flaxbee]

10. This was probably a creature of decent size - loud noise, carried far. Not a baby bird...

and I think there was some struggle.

We have bunnies (who are, as far as I know, quite quiet), skunks (though there was no after-odor), foxes, raccoons, possums, squirrels, deer (though this was not a deer)... But I don't know the predatory hierarchy.

Edited to add: thank you for helping the cardinals... I watch my kitties like a hawk this time of year when I let them out for their morning stroll...

[rug]

7. "prolonged chattering shriek"

My imagination thanks you.

[Flaxbee]

11. it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Indeed.

I just am thankful I hadn't watched an episode of The Walking Dead before I went out or I might have wet myself.

[rug]

13. Geez. I've seen many small animls killed.

The worst were when my kids were standing next to me.

[WillParkinson]

19. Well, if nothing else...

You would have finally had an excuse for it.

[MicaelS]

9. From your description...

Sounds like a rabbit being killed.

[Flaxbee]

12. Really?

I always think of rabbits as silent, but there are many around here, and many foxes.

[MicaelS]

14. Rabbits "scream"

If you want to know what a rabbit screams sounds like, go to YouTube, and search for "Screaming Rabbit".

There are multiple graphic videos uploaded in which a person feeds a live rabbit to their pet snake.

I won't post a direct link, some might get upset.

[Flaxbee]

15. OK, thanks. I don't think I need to see that.

But I believe it was probably a rabbit.

I don't want to go within a mile of animal torture porn.

[mariema]

16. Probably a rabbit

The sound they make when being taken down by a predator is just god-awful.
And I would guess the predator was an owl.

[Chan790]

17. That was my guess as-well. Also some owls shriek.

Not when they're being attacked, it's a defensive warning or distress sound...usually employed by immature fledgelings rather than full-grown owls.

I found a sound-clip of the baby owl shrieking. No video. As they grow into adolescence, they can make a racket for closer to half a minute straight rather than the few seconds in this clip.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sounds/Owl_GreatHorned_Fledgling.mp3

[csziggy]

18. Another possibility - barred owl make the most horrible calls

Sometimes during breed season, sometimes just for the heck of it. I've heard them make calls that will make the hair stand up on your head. Other times, they sound like monkeys. Or it could be another kind of owl.

Barred Owls:

Barn Owl:

It could also be a fox call - during breeding season they can be very vocal: