Collared forest-falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus) preying on a squirrel in a fragment of atlantic forest with a revision of the predation events for the species

Abstract

We recorded predation on the squirrel Guerlinguetus ingrami by a Collared Forest-Falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus) through camera trapping in a forest fragment of Atlantic Forest in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil. The squirrel was captured while it moved across the forest floor. A compilation from bibliographic and other sources resulted in 68 vertebrate and 03 invertebrate species as prey of the Collared Forest-Falcon, with birds more commonly reported in the diet of the species. The majority of prey (66% of species) did not exceed 300 g, but some prey species (12%) such as guans (Penelope spp.) were heavier than the falcon. The Collared Forest-Falcon could affect the population dynamics of smaller vertebrates in forest fragments of Atlantic Forest due to its flexibility in diet and habitat use, an aspect that deserve a more thorough investigation.