Several species of large neotropical hawks and eagle, including the Harpy Eagle, Crested Eagle, and the Ornate Hawk-eagle
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Forest eagles are found in many tropical habitats and are thought to strongly affect ecosystem structuring through both direct and indirect effects of predation. Mixed-species groupings of primates and bird are a common feature of many intact rainforest communities, yet may be the result of comparatively rare interactions with predators like raptors. The exact mechanisms and details of hunting forest raptors are not completely known. Hawk-eagles are by nature species with low population densities and large territories, making direct behavioral observation difficult. Given that rainforests are dense with vegetation and offer limited visibility, soundscapes are an important means of prey communication within and between species. Using sequential acoustic recordings, we documented the hunt of a Black-capped Squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) by an Ornate Hawk-eagle (Spizeatus ornatus) in an Amazonian forest. By comparing the vocal behavior of three different mixed-species communities present during the hunt, we illustrate community-wide effects of large raptors at the smallest scale possible. |
Figure 1. Trail markers, Timeline of Vocalizations, and Important Events. Notable alarms are represented by spectrograms. Vocalization events are shown as colored dots on the timeline. Vertical position of colored dots indicates the forest strata used by the alarming species. Notable behavioral events are represented by the green letters e (events) 1-4. Trail locations are represented by letters t (trail) A-D. The trail markers are labeled as points 2200m-3000m, representing trail marker names. Distances between points are 200 meters.
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