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Accepted 2025-08-02
Published 2025-08-13
Abstract
Predation is the main cause of nest failure for many bird species, especially those that nest on the ground. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of wild pigs in the predation of artificial ground nests in Bahía Samborombón (Buenos Aires, Argentina) during the 2021 nesting season, using camera traps. A total of 174 independent records of six species were obtained, among which Sus scrofa, Lycalopex gymnocercus, and Caracara plancus were recorded preying on the nests. The first two species were characterized by nest predation, mainly during twilight or nighttime hours. The wild pig showed more nocturnal activity, with two activity peaks recorded: one between 02:00 and 03:00. In contrast, the pampas fox showed a predation activity peak on artificial nests at dusk. This was an initial experiment, confirming the predation of ground-nesting bird nests by two mammals: one native, the pampas fox, and one exotic, the wild pig.
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