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Volume 47, No. 1

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Depredation of a Snowy Egret Egretta thula by a Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus in Virginia

Key words: Pomarine Jaeger, Snowy Egret, depredation, Virginia

Abstract

We report a case of an adult Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus attacking, drowning, and eating a Snowy Egret Egretta thula on 24 May 2018, Myrtle Island, Virginia. After the jaeger abandoned the carcass, we observed that the egret had recently eaten, as evidenced by fish found both in the crop and adjacent to the carcass, indicating that the egret was in good physical condition. Pomarine Jaegers are known to capture small birds, primarily during the non-breeding season, though we found few records of them depredating birds as large as a Snowy Egret.

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