We report three unusual cases of predation in which birds of insectivorous or omnivorous species preyed upon smaller birds in El Salvador, Central America. A Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) fed on a netted Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea); a Blue-and-white Mockingbird (Melanotis hypoleucus) chased, killed, and carried off a probable juvenile Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis); and a Black-headed Saltator (Saltator atriceps) fed on a netted Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila). Preying upon birds has not been reported previously in any of these species. Evidence suggests that the Squirrel Cuckoo and the Blue-and-white Mockingbird may prey on small birds or other vertebrates with some regularity, while the saltator may have consumed the hummingbird due to non-natural conditions.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 June 2003
Predation on Birds by a Cuckoo (Cuculidae), Mockingbird (Mimidae), and Saltator (Cardinalidae)
Oliver Komar,
Walter A. Thurber
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE