RED-EYED VIREO (Víreo olivaceus) PLUNGES INTO POND IN APPARENT FORAGING MANEUVER

摘要

On 30 April 2017, KFT visited the Brooker Creek Preserve & Environmental Education Center, Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, Florida. There is a small woodland pond and a walkway between two of the nature center buildings. At 12:30pm four Tufted Titmice (Baeolophus bicolor) were flying near and along the pond edge and landed in some low brush on the pond bank. KFT focused a Canon EOS Rebel T5 digital camera with a 300 mm lens on a titmouse perched low on the pond bank. As he watched through the viewfinder a Red-eyed Vireo flew into the camera's field of view and perched low on a small branch. As KFT took photographs it peered intently at the pond, dove head first into the water (Fig. 1A) and completely submerged (Fig. 1B). It then appeared at the surface (Fig. 1C) and flew away (Fig. lD).This small pond had numerous whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) of unknown species on its surface. The assumption is that the Red- eyed Víreo and the Tufted Titmice were attracted to the pond by this prey opportunity. After the Red-eyed Vreo flew off, two Tufted Titmice settled on a perch beside the spot where the vireo dove into the water. A titmouse was leaning from a perch on the bank watching the activity (Fig. 1 A, B, C). The titmice did not try to capture the beetles while under observation. Although it was assumed that the Red-eyed Vireo was diving for prey, the photographs do not confirm that any prey was captured by the bird.