THE IMPORTANCE OF VERTEBRATES IN THE DIET OF TANAGERS

Aborn and Froehlich (1995) considered an attempt of a Summer Tanager ( Piranga rubra) to eat an anole (Anolis carolinensis) at a migratory st opover site to be the first record of a tanager consuming a vertebrate . They hypothesized that eating lizards may re fleer dietary plasticit y needed by the bird to meet energy demand during migration. I present evidence of several Caribbean species of tanagers feeding on amphibia ns and reptiles, and 1 offer possible explanations on why this behavio r has been overlooked. The Summer Tanager, as well as other migrants, should be opportunistic ill their Feeding habits. There are many lizar ds in the wintering areas used by this tanager and, as do other local species, the bird may simply be taking advantage of this ample food re source. Thus, 1 believe that the alternate hypothesis proposed by Abor n and Froehlich (i.e., that the tanager was simply responding to the s timulus of a potential food item) is more plausible.