Title
Attack and probable predation on ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) by Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Author(s)
McCullough, Keith L.;Rainwater, Thomas R.;McAlister, Mark A.;Dozier, Jamie;Platt, Steven G.
Published
2019
Publisher
The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Abstract
Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus) feed primarily on mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, but invertebrates also comprise a significant portion of the diet. The majority of invertebrates consumed are insects and crustaceans, with the latter represented to date only by crayfish. In 2016, we observed a Red-shouldered Hawk attack and dismember another crustacean, the ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata), on a coastal beach in South Carolina, USA. Actual consumption of the crab by the hawk was not observed but is probable. Consumption of ghost crabs by Red-shouldered Hawks is not unexpected, as these crustaceans are abundant within their range, active when hawks are foraging, and occur in open habitats (beaches and dunes) where they are more vulnerable to avian predators. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Red-shouldered Hawk attacking and presumably consuming any species of crab and the first report of probable ghost crab predation by a raptor in North America.
Keywords
Buteo lineatus;diet;feeding;ghost crab;Ocypode quadrata;predation;Red-shouldered Hawk
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PUB24580