White-necked hawk (Amadonastur lacernulatus) feeding on amphisbaenidae

Abstract

The White-necked Hawk (Amadonastur lacernulatus) is an Atlantic Forest endemic bird of prey with a poorly known diet. Here, we describe three different predatory interactions between White-necked Hawks and worm lizards (Amphisbaenidae) from Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. During these events, hawks were recorded grasping, killing and consuming amphisbaenids. Due to their fossorial life, worm lizards are uncommon prey items for most birds of prey and such predator-prey interaction can be related to flooded amphisbaenians galleries after heavy rain episodes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of White-necked Hawks preying on amphisbaenids.