I'm not sure if this applies to herons and other birds, but once I saw a
show on PBS about squirrel serial killers. Apparently these squirrel
serial killers are always postpartum females, and the theory is that the
hormonal changes that occur following birth sometimes triggers the urge
to kill (not their own offspring, though); once they kill, they get a
taste for blood and will even stalk other squirrels.

Also, we raised chickens when I was growing up and I witnessed how the
chickens would sometimes peck a sick one; perhaps the birds in question
here were culling the flock to rid it of a disease that was not apparent
to the people who saw the murders.

Mary Johnson
Auburn, WA
mjohnsonATbecu.org



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