Mrs Pheasant - a sad souvenir

Now, a sad bit of news.  

I had noticed that the 'happy couple' had not been around for a few days although I could hear him call in the field next door.  After doing a bit of gardening at the far end of our garden, I came across a huge pile of female pheasant feathers.  I can only think it is our pretty little girl pheasant who had so happily been in the company of our handsome Mr Pheasant for some time now.  I miss them both.  I think he must be too frightened to come back into the garden as he probably witnessed the traumatic demise of his mate. I really don't know what to make of it.  Only the feathers were left.  It could have been a fox, a large cat (we have a very large tigrous sort - a Bengal - which comes into our garden sometimes) or maybe even a buzzard as she was quite a small pheasant. Would a badger be quick enough to catch a pheasant?  There are a lot of buzzards about.  A friend was driving along the road the other day and a headless pigeon was dropped by a buzzard right in front of her.  Mrs Pheasant wasn't much larger than big wood pigeon.