Abstract

MOTA DE ALMEIDA, José Adolfo; DE CARVALHO CHAVES JUNIOR, Luiz Eduardo  and  MAGALHAES DE SOUZA, Marcos. Occasional record of orthemis sp. (libellulidae) in the diet of falco sparverius l. 1758 (falconiforme) in the State of Paraná, Southern Brazil. Rev. Soc. cient. Parag. [online]. 2025, vol.30, n.2, pp.132-135. ISSN 0379-9123.  https://doi.org/10.32480/rscp.2025.30.2.132135.

The American kestrel (Falco sparverius), one of the smallest birds of prey in the world, has a varied diet that mainly consists of insects, such as dragonflies. However, specific records of these insects in the diet of this species are still scarce. This paper reports an occasional record of a F. sparverius predating on a dragonfly, which was observed on March 22, 2025, on a rural road in the municipality of Umuarama, state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The bird was photographed holding a dragonfly (Orthemis sp., Libellulidae) while perched on a power line wire approximately 5 meters above the ground. These data contribute to the knowledge of the diet of F. sparverius in Brazil and highlight the need for further studies on the ecological role of dragonflies as prey for birds in both natural and human-altered environments in the country.

Keywords : Falconidae; Falco sparverius; Libellulidae; Ortemis; Predation..

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