Different hunting methods of Harpyhaliaetus coronatus during rehabilitation

ANDRÉS CAPDEVIELLE; FACUNDO BARBAR; MANUEL ENCABO; RAMIRO RODRÍGUEZ

Iguazú

Conferencia; Second Neotropical Raptor Conference; 2006

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Raptors use different hunting techniques. Studying these techniques is essential if we want to understand them. The object of this work was to evaluate the hunting methods of a Crowned Solitary Eagle (Harpyhaliaetus coronatus) during rehabilitation. We considered this study important because there is limited information available on hunting techniques used by this raptor. The hunting methods varied depending on the prey and its size which ranged from insects to reptiles, birds and mammals. Insects were hunted by digging holes or moving rocks or rotten tree trunks. Birds were captured by direct attacks. The eagle used very specialized techniques to prey on reptiles. Small mammals preyed upon varied from rodents to carnivores, all of which the eagle attacked directly. When attacking potentially dangerous species including opossums and skunks, the eagle stood alongside the prey and blocked the snout with one foot and the head with the other. It never released the prey before feeding upon it. In some cases, the eagle showed a great capacity to search and capture different prey, exhibiting great flexibility depending on the hunting situation.