I observed a male Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) capture a western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), the first reported incidence of vertebrate-directed raptorial behavior in the Western Bluebird. There are no previously published reports of Western Bluebirds capturing vertebrate prey, although there is one previous report of a Western Bluebird carrying an unidentified lizard in the manner of a prey item, and a few reports of predation on vertebrates by the congeneric Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis).
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1 March 2007
Western Bluebird Captures a Western Fence Lizard
Caitlin A. Stern
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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Vol. 119 • No. 1
March 2007
Vol. 119 • No. 1
March 2007