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White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Predation
on Grassland Songbird Nestlings

Pamela J. Pietz¹ and Diane A. Granfors*

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Abstract: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were videotaped depredating four songbird nests in grassland habitats in southeastern and northcentral North Dakota, 1996-1999. Deer ate two Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), two grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), one clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida), one red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) and three brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) nestlings. Deer removed nestlings quickly (5-19 sec/nest) at night (22:00 to 05:17 Central Daylight Time) and left no evidence of predation. Although probably opportunistic, deer predations clearly were deliberate and likely are more common than generally believed.

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This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication 1109):

Pietz, Pamela J., and Diane A. Granfors.  2000.  White-tailed deer 
     (Odocoileus virginianus) predation on grassland songbird nestlings.  
     American Midland Naturalist 144(2):419-422.

This resource should be cited as:

Pietz, Pamela J., and Diane A. Granfors.  2000.  White-tailed deer 
     (Odocoileus virginianus) predation on grassland songbird nestlings.  
     American Midland Naturalist 144(2):419-422.  Jamestown, ND: 
     Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.  
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/deerpred/index.htm  
     (Version 09MAR2001).

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Study Areas and Methods
• Results and Discussion
  • Case 1
  • Case 2
  • Case 3
  • Case 4
• Acknowledgments
• Literature Cited

Figures

• Figure 1 -- Images from videotaped predation events.

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* U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street S.E., Jamestown, North Dakota 58401. (both authors)
¹ Corresponding author: e-mail: pam_pietz@usgs.gov

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