REPTILE-EATING BIRDS

Reptiles are popular prey items for a wide variety of birds, but only a few raptors are truly reptile specialists.

Black Vulture

foraging on dead sea-turtle, bill in eye socket

Black Vulture      Coragyps atratus

Black Vulture

eating dead alligator

Black Vulture      Coragyps atratus

USA; Florida, Everglades National Park, Monroe Co.

Crested Caracara

2 birds with snake (Western Coachwhip)

Crested Caracara      Caracara cheriway

USA; Texas, Las Colmenas Ranch, near McCook, Hidalgo Co.

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

with lizard

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl      Glaucidium brasilianum

USA; Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Willacy Co.

Great Blue Heron

eating baby alligator

Great Blue Heron      Ardea herodias

USA; Florida, Everglades N.P., Anhinga Trail

Great Blue Heron

snake in bill

Great Blue Heron      Ardea herodias

Great Egret

lizard in bill, skink

Great Egret      Ardea alba

Greater Roadrunner

spiny lizard Sceloporus in bill

Greater Roadrunner      Geococcyx californianus

Greater Roadrunner

with lizard in bill

Greater Roadrunner      Geococcyx californianus

USA; California, Anza-Borrego State Park

Gull-billed Tern

with anolis lizard in bill

Gull-billed Tern      Gelochelidon nilotica

USA; Florida, Alafia Bank, Tampa Bay

Harris's Hawk

with Ruthven's Whipsnake(Masticophis schotti ruthveni)

Harris's Hawk      Parabuteo unicinctus

USA; Texas, Las Colmenas Ranch, near McCook, Hidalgo Co.

Herring Gull

2nd year bird with diamondback terrapin in beak - later escaped, Malaclemys terrapin

Herring Gull      Larus argentatus

USA; New Jersey, Delaware Bay

Hood Mockingbird

turtle egg in bill

Hood Mockingbird      Nesomimus macdonaldi

Laughing Kookaburra

eating a legless lizard

Laughing Kookaburra      Dacelo novaeguineae

Loggerhead Shrike

Texas horned toad in bill

Loggerhead Shrike      Lanius ludovicianus

USA; Texas, Forshage Ranch, Edinburg

Northern Pygmy-Owl

Eastern fence lizard in beak

Northern Pygmy-Owl      Glaucidium gnoma

USA; Colorado, Jefferson Co.

Pygmy Falcon

lizard in bill

Pygmy Falcon      Polihierax semitorquatus

Namibia, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park

Roadside Hawk

With lizard prey in bill

Roadside Hawk      Buteo magnirostris

Short-toed Snake Eagle

at nest, snake in bill

Short-toed Snake Eagle      Circaetus gallicus

Turkey Vulture

with road-killed turtle

Turkey Vulture      Cathartes aura

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

head-shot, small Painted Turtle in bill

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron      Nyctanassa violacea

USA; New York, Jamaica Bay NWR, Big John's Pond, Queens