Prey selection and provisioning rate of a breeding pair of Hodgson's Hawk-eagles Nisaetus nipalensis

Abstract

A breeding pair of Hodgson's Hawk-eagles Nisaetus nipalensis brought prey items of four vertebrate taxa with a mass range of 5–1900 g to the nest. In the late breeding period, when both sexes performed provisioning, the male delivered birds and lighter items, whereas the female brought reptiles and heavier items, resulting in significant sexual prey partitioning regarding both taxa and mass. In the nestling stage, coinciding with the late breeding period, the male achieved a provisioning rate similar to that of the female, despite hunting bird prey, whose agility reduces their vulnerability, indicating the male's greater overall foraging ability.