This is not simply having bull frogs or frogs in the diet, it's the butchery
behavior that is so unusual in my opinion and requires two birds, so its paired
or social butchery. What a great Halloween topic for Texbirds.
I have watched my chicken flock eat small rabbits and rats in this fashion. One
bird would probably never manage. I have often seen Black Vultures do this as
well. In the new phylogeny, how close are grebes to vultures now?
Fred Collins, Director
Kleb Woods Nature Center
20303 Draper Road,Tomball TX 77377
281-357-5324
Harris County Precinct 3
Steve Radack Commissioner
www.pct3.hctx.net
-----Original Message-----
From: John and Glennah Trochet [mailto:trochetj@xxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 12:36 PM
To: kbarnold2@xxxxxxxxx; Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3) <FCollins@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx; texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [texbirds] Re: Pied-billed Grebe vs. American Bullfrog
Dear TexBirders,
Another source for diet items is the pertinent volume of Arthur Cleveland
Bent's series, Life Histories of North American Birds. The series began in
1919 with Life Histories of North American Diving Birds and ended in 1968 with
Life Histories of North American Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Towhees,
Finches, Sparrows and Allies, the last volumes completed after Bent's death.
On several occasions, I have found this source to have more detailed
information on diet than the more recent series, Birds of North America Life
Histories for the 21st Century (1992 to 2007). But the account of pied-billed
grebe occurs in the 1919 volume, and the diet accounts got more detailed as the
series progressed. The "small frogs" are not enumerated by Bent.
Best,
John Trochet
Sacramento, California
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Keith Arnold
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 8:22 AM
To: Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3)
Cc: fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx; texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [texbirds] Re: Pied-billed Grebe vs. American Bullfrog
A most unusual event and not likely documented; you might check Oberholser's
BLOT for bullfrogs as foot iterms of Pied-billed Grebes.
Keith Arnold
On Tue, Oct 31, 2017 at 8:34 AM, Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3) <
FCollins@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
That is a great observation Anthony. Pictures? I wonder if such a
thing has ever been documented?
Fred Collins, Director
Kleb Woods Nature Center
20303 Draper Road,Tomball TX 77377
281-357-5324
Harris County Precinct 3
Steve Radack Commissioner
www.pct3.com
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Anthony Hewetson
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2017 10:43 PM
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; leasbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; Anthony Hewetson
< fattonybirds@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [texbirds] Pied-billed Grebe vs. American Bullfrog
Greetings All:
This might not be that unusual but I had a first for me - at the
Justiceburg Rest Area (Garza County) this afternoon: a pair of
Pied-billled Grebes dismantling and eating an American Bullfrog. The
death of the frog took about ten minutes - though I left before the
grisly tableaux had attained completion - but the grebes were
definitely dining on the frog by the time I left.
I stopped at the rest area (to look for sparrows) and heard an
American Bullfrog in distress. Scanning the pond, I spotted a
Pied-billed Grebe with a firm grip on the frog as another Pied-billed
Grebe repeatedly attacked and eventually dismembered the frog. I know
that Pied-billed Grebes are known to dine on amphibians but this is
the first time I have seen a joint attack on an adult bullfrog.
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