Abstract
Abstract Although open-cup nesting birds regularly experience partial predation events, little is known about partial predation for cavity-nesting birds. Here we report on 12 partial predation events for 5 species of cavity-nesting birds inhabiting southern pine forests. Snakes, small mammals, and woodpeckers were the primary predators; many were documented by direct visual observation or video photography. We documented two types of outcomes from partial predation events: partial failure, i.e., a single partial predation event followed by successful fledging of >1 young; and complete failure, i.e., multiple, sequential partial predation events that result in total nest failure. We propose the “plate too full” and “eat and run” hypotheses to explain partial nest predation in birds and discuss the characteristics of cavities that may facilitate this phenomenon.
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