Researchers documented an ornate hawk-eagle killing a crested owl in Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park, recording the specific predation event for the first time.
The rare encounter unfolded during a field excursion in the lowland forests of the park. According to a study published in the Caribbean Journal of Science, the predation of a crested owl (Lophostrix cristata
) by an ornate hawk-eagle (Spizaetus ornatus
) has never been documented before to the knowledge of the scientists.
Ornate Hawk-Eagles Hunt in Lowland Forests
Ornate hawk-eagles are powerful birds found across the tropical Americas. They feature a wingspan exceeding one metre and typically prey on a wide variety of medium-sized birds and mammals, including cracids, toucans, monkeys, and squirrels.
Common Black Hawk Attempts Meal Theft
The kill quickly drew an unexpected participant. A stocky common black hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus
) had been following the event intently from nearby. The bird swooped in to try to steal the prey through kleptoparasitism, a feeding strategy that involves one animal deliberately taking food from another.
Unwilling to surrender its meal, the eagle aggressively fought off the intruder and retained the owl. The ornate hawk-eagle then moved the prey to a high branch within the forest, according to the study authored by José Manuel Mora and colleagues.
Observers Record Rare Tropical Raptor Dynamics
However, direct observations of intraguild predation events involving owls are exceptional.
José Manuel Mora et al., Caribbean Journal of Science
Vulnerability of Medium-Sized Nocturnal Raptors
Intraguild predation occurs when species competing for the same resource or prey also kill and eat each other. The research team notes that the record suggests even medium-sized nocturnal raptors, such as crested owls, may occasionally remain vulnerable to attacks by large forest eagles. While a single observation cannot establish the exact frequency of such events, the authors state that reporting them adds to baseline knowledge regarding predator-prey dynamics in tropical raptor assemblages.
