predator eating flesh off heads only

[omega ridge]

  this is the second day I have found a dead quail in the pen. Each time the head has had all the flesh eaten off but it is still attached and nothing else is eaten. These birds are two years old and have lived in this pen all their adult life. We have had much problem with rats and some snakes but to date this is a new situation. Please help with ideas of what the predator is. Thank you.

[Little Bear Game Farm]

What is your ceiling height on the pen?  What is the top made out of?

I had a coon doing something similar to that to my coturnix some years ago.  He could reach them to kill them and gnaw on their heads a little but could not get them through the top net so they'd be laying there dead.

[backyardquail]

Had the same problem, never did catch what it was.  My situation was where the birds stuck their heads out to eat.  So the fix was to cover that will smaller wire.  Problem solved.