PREDATORY BEHAVIOR OF A RUFOUS-CAPPED MOTMOT (BARYPHTHENGUS RUFICAPILLUS) ON A MAMMAL (MONODELPHIS SP.)

Abstract

While motmots (Momotidae) are known to feed on mammals, this information comes mainly from the analysis of stomach con- tents. On 2 November 2018, our camera trap, located in the Projeto Dacnis area in São Francisco Xavier, a district of the municipality of São José dos Campos, State of São Paulo, Brazil, recorded a Rufous-capped Motmot (Baryphthengus ruficapillus) on a perch with a small opossum (Monodelphis sp.) in its bill. Since the bird repeatedly hit the mammal ́s head against the perch, we assumed it was a predation event. This is the first video record of a B. ruficapillus preying on a mammal, as well as the first record of a motmot preying on a marsupial. Videos record- ed by camera traps are a valuable source of natural history data, as they provide records not only about dietary items, but also about the associated predatory behavior.