Attack and probable predation on ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) by Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

• Published in: The Wilson journal of ornithology 2019-06, Vol.131 (2), p.399-402
• Main Authors: McCullough, Keith L., Rainwater, Thomas R., McAlister, Mark A., Dozier, Jamie, Platt, Steven G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alimentación; Amphibians; Animal behavior; Aquatic crustaceans; Aquatic reptiles; Beaches; Birds; Buteo lineatus; Crabs; Crayfish; Crustacea; Crustaceans; depredación; diet; dieta; feeding; Foraging; Foraging habitats; Freshwater crustaceans; ghost crab; Habitats; Insects; Interspecific relationships; Invertebrates; Marine crustaceans; Ocypode quadrata; Playas; Predation; Predators; Red-shouldered Hawk; Reptiles; SHORT COMMUNICATIONS; Wildlife management
• ISSN: 1559-4491; 1938-5447
• DOI: 10.1676/18-151

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.