Date: 7/3/25 2:05 pm From: Diana Stuart <diastu46...> Subject: Re: [AZNMbirds] Birds are Prey
I think a little of both - shift and opportunity - is going on here.
A rattler that gets a rabbit probably doesn't need to eat again for a week
or two or longer. If preferred prey is scarce, then ambushing small birds
seems a logical step, but more than one is needed to fulfill nutritional
demands.
Monsoon rains will help grow what other prey animals need to return.
On Thu, Jul 3, 2025, 12:46 PM Tom Hildebrandt <tomhildebrandt2012...>
wrote:
> I just had to relocate a diamondback from a hollow at the base of my suet
> feeder.
> Tom
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 2, 2025 at 7:15 PM Elizabeth Farquhar <
> <liz.farquhar51...> wrote:
>
>> Really interesting. Will have to keep an eye out for this behavior …
>>
>> Elizabeth Farquhar
>> Writer, Editor
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM Mike Judd <ebwilderae...> wrote:
>>
>>> Nice reports 🙏
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>> On Jul 2, 2025, at 3:59 PM, Marcia Lincoln <boahiss...> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I think birds play a regular part in the diet of Western Diamondbacks.
>>> In my yard in Tucson, I have seen one eat a White-winged Dove, a Cactus
>>> Wren, and one time one managed to squeeze into a pen that housed a bunch of
>>> turkey poults and one was eaten. The snake was still in there and I
>>> released it in another part of the yard. Little or no grasses would mean
>>> fewer rodents, so they may be eating birds more regularly. It's been a
>>> tough year for wildlife. We are finally getting rain here right now in NW
>>> Tucson too, yay!
>>>
>>> Marcia
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jul 2, 2025 at 3:07 PM Alexander Hamilton <
>>> <ispidina.picta...> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This is kind of random, but it may be of interest in a big-picture
>>>> kind of way. I apparently have a resident diamondback that has taken
>>>> up feasting on birds.
>>>>
>>>> I am used to various species of hawks, roadrunners, the rare shrike,
>>>> and even “preying” mantis keeping the local bird populations in check,
>>>> but I was surprised to see a diamondback grab one the other day.
>>>>
>>>> Five days ago, I saw that a Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, the
>>>> first snake of the year for me, had gotten a House Finch. Okay, that’s
>>>> sort of interesting. looks like it could be a juvenile so maybe not
>>>> super predator aware.
>>>>
>>>> Then two days ago, it got a Blue Grosbeak. Okay, I’m a bit more
>>>> surprised, maybe even a bit shocked.
>>>>
>>>> Then this morning it totally upped its game 5-fold, it nailed a
>>>> White-winged Dove.
>>>>
>>>> There may not be any birds left around here by the end of next week! I
>>>> mean, these are just incidents that I happened to catch.
>>>>
>>>> I’m in Madrean Grassland and there really aren’t any grasses anymore.
>>>> This is the driest I have ever seen it, and it’s completely bare
>>>> between all of the bushes and trees. With bird numbers dropping, herps
>>>> and small mammals seem to be going in the same direction. There used
>>>> to be resident Great Horned Owls that are now scarce and / or absent.
>>>> In any case, while I know that diamondbacks eat birds, I can’t help
>>>> but wonder how much this is a shift in diet versus opportunistic
>>>> feeding.
>>>>
>>>> If anyone is interested, here are 3 checklists from the past 5 days
>>>> that include photos of the diamondback.
>>>>
>>>> 27 Jun 2025: Diamondback with HOFI
>>>> https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1evoCk6WGkCqABxyVF2fxiGII-Z?<domain...> >>>> <https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1evoCk6WGkCqABxyVF2fxiGII-Z?<domain...> >>>>
>>>> 30 Jun 2025: Diamondback with BLGR
>>>> https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/-d2ACl8WJltzmEQwJS9h3izuCT1?<domain...> >>>> <https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/-d2ACl8WJltzmEQwJS9h3izuCT1?<domain...> >>>>
>>>> 2 Jul 2025: Diamondback with WWDO
>>>> https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/FGn8Cm7WKmIR8lOowhBiAiR0nXd?<domain...> >>>> <https://url.usb.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/FGn8Cm7WKmIR8lOowhBiAiR0nXd?<domain...> >>>>
>>>> It’s raining now – finally – so that’s good.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>> Ron Batie
>>>> Rio Rico, Arizona
>>>>
>>>
