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Anavivore is a specialized predator ofbirds, with birds making up a large proportion of its diet. Such bird-eating animals come from a range of groups.
Birds that are specialized predators of other birds include certainfalcons andaccipiters. General features of avian avivores include a skull form which is well adapted for grasping and crushing with the beak, although not especially well structured for neck twisting motions.[1] Bird-eatingraptors also tend to show greater sexual dimorphism than other raptors, with the females being larger than the males.[2]
Some avian avivores such as theshikra,besra,Eurasian sparrowhawk, andsharp-shinned hawk catch their prey by flying from cover in a tree or bush, taking their prey unawares. In contrast, thelanner falcon hunts in open country taking birds by horizontal pursuit. Theaplomado falcon will use both ambush and more extended flights.[3] Theperegrine falcon dives on flying birds from a great height at speeds that can exceed 300 km/h.
The extinctHaast's eagle ofNew Zealand preyed on the large flightless bird species of the region such as themoa.
In certainbiotopes, birds constitute the bulk of the diet of various carnivorans, e.g., of adultleopard seals that mostly prey onpenguins, theArctic fox living in coastal areas where colonies ofmurres,auks,gulls and otherseabirds abound andstoats in New Zealand against whom flightless birds like thetakahē andkiwi are defenseless. Other avivore mammals who occasionally prey on birds include mostcarnivora; a number ofprimates ranging fromlorises andnight monkeys overbaboons andchimpanzees tohumans;orcas;opossums and othermarsupials;rats and otherrodents;hedgehogs and otherinsectivora andbats.
A number of mammal species are specialized predators of birds. Thecaracal and theserval, both medium-sized cats, are known for their leaping ability which they use to catch flying birds, sometimes two at a time.Domestic cats may at times become specialists as bird-killers if other prey is unavailable. Some carnivora, including thered fox andmartens, are known for engaging insurplus killing of birds. Kruuk (1972) observed that four red foxes killed 230black-headed gulls in one night in a single colony at the Cumberland coast while fewer than 3% of the gulls showed any sign of being eaten.[1] Thegreater noctule bat is believed to predate small migrating birds on the wing in the skies ofSouthern Europe.
Many mammals, such assquirrels,monkeys, andpine martens, also feed on bird eggs and young when they get the chance.
Thefanged frogLimnonectes megastomias preys on birds and insects.[4]
Various groups ofarthropod have been observed to be avivorous, however birds do not make up the majority of the diets of any arthropod; a strict avivore among the arthropods has not been discovered.
The Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) is reputed to be an avivore (hence the name), but it rarely preys on birds.[5][6] However, other species of spider have been observed to consume birds that they capture; largeorb-weaving spiders, such as thegolden orbweavers, have been observed to consume small birds such asmannikin and other finches.[7][8] AnAvicularia, another species of tarantula, has also been recorded to consume a bird.[9]
The Phillip island centipede (Cormocephalus coynei) has been dubbed as a "giant bird-eating centipede"; it may consume petrel chicks (Pterodroma nigripennis) at a rate between ~2100 and ~3730 nestlings per year, across the island's population of centipedes. It has been theorized that the centipede was able to enter thisecological niche due tothe absence of endemic mammalian predators on the island.[10][11]
Praying mantises (Mantodea) are well documented in catching and consuminghummingbirds of a similar mass; theruby-throated hummingbird is often preyed upon.[12] In addition, other types of birds also fall prey to mantises, such aswarblers,sunbirds,honeyeaters, flycatchers,vireos andeuropean robins.[13][14]
Avivorous mantid genera include:[14]
A coconut crab (Birgus latro) was filmedambushing a sleepingred-footed booby, shattering wing bones on both wings with itsclaws, and consuming it along with 5 other coconut crabs, which were perhaps attracted by the commotion and scent of blood.[15][16]
