Interactions between a group of Golden Eagles and a herd of North American elk

Matt P. O’Connell; Michael N. Kochert

doi:10.3356/jrr-13-00027jrr-12-03.1

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Interactions between a group of Golden Eagles and a herd of North American elk

Matt P. O’Connell·Michael N. Kochert

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Abstract

Raptors are generally considered solitary predators (Schoener 1969), but occasionally they interact socially (Brown and Amadon 1968). Certain raptor species (e.g., Swallow-tailed Kites [ Elanoides forficatus ] and Swainson's Hawks [ Buteo swainsoni ]) concentrate in aggregations in response to localized, abundant food sources (Ellis et al. 1993). Many raptor species engage in group hunting (Ellis et al. 1993), and social foraging is a routine strategy for some species (e.g., Harris's Hawks [ Parabuteo unicinctus ]; Bednarz 1988, Ellis et al. 1993]. Raptors generally engage in group hunting to pursue elusive or large prey (Ellis et al. 1993). Occasionally individuals of conspecific raptors engage in play as a group sometimes involving chases of prey species (Palmer 1988). In this letter, we report interactions between a large group of Golden Eagles and a herd of adult and juvenile Rocky Mountain elk ( Cervus canadensis nelsoni ) in late autumn.

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Journal of Raptor Research Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 43.579867° to 43.659807° latitude; -115.939559° to -115.819759° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Matt P. O’Connell, Michael N. Kochert. 2013. Interactions between a group of Golden Eagles and a herd of North American elk. https://doi.org/10.3356/jrr-13-00027jrr-12-03.1

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