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8 June 2021 Is the Tiny Hawk (Accipiter superciliosus) Really a Specialized Predator on Hummingbirds? Using Citizen Science Data to Elucidate Dietary Preferences of a Little-Known Neotropical Raptor
Alex J. Berryman, Guy M. Kirwan
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Abstract

We used photo-documented citizen science data held in publicly accessible databases to better elucidate the diet of one of the smallest Neotropical Accipitridae, the Tiny Hawk (Accipiter superciliosus). Previous data are exclusively anecdotal, but a suggestion that this species is to some extent a specialized predator on hummingbirds (Trochilidae) is widely reported in the literature, despite being based on few observations. Using a total of more than 680 photographs of Tiny Hawks, we identified 33 items of avian prey from 15 families and at least 25 genera, including one hummingbird and some comparatively large non-passerines. Prey also included one bat. Although the Tiny Hawk is perhaps more liable to predate hummingbirds than most other Neotropical raptors, the available data suggest that the Tiny Hawk, like many other Accipiter species, is primarily a bird specialist. As evidenced by other recently published studies, internet-sourced photographs might prove useful for similar dietary analyses for other poorly known raptors.

© 2021 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.
Alex J. Berryman and Guy M. Kirwan "Is the Tiny Hawk (Accipiter superciliosus) Really a Specialized Predator on Hummingbirds? Using Citizen Science Data to Elucidate Dietary Preferences of a Little-Known Neotropical Raptor," Journal of Raptor Research 55(2), 276-280, (8 June 2021). https://doi.org/10.3356/0892-1016-55.2.276
Received: 25 January 2020; Accepted: 19 April 2020; Published: 8 June 2021
KEYWORDS
Accipiter superciliosus
citizen science
diet
hummingbird
Neotropical raptors
Tiny Hawk
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