[mou] Snake-eating Bluebird

[Paul and JoAnn Gunderson]

Yesterday afternoon I was looking out my kitchen window when a male=20
Eastern Bluebird with a small (4=94-5=94) Red-bellied Snake dangling =
from=20
its bill landed in our front yard. He had the snake by the head and it=20=

appeared to be dead. The Bluebird smacked the snake against the ground=20=

a couple of times and took off toward an open area beyond our small=20
orchard. I went outside but was unable to relocate the bird to observe=20=

whether or not (or how) the snake was actually eaten. The Red-bellied=20
Snake is quite common in our area of Big Lake Township in Sherburne=20
County. I have seen it taken by American Kestrels and Red-shouldered=20
Hawks but never by Bluebirds or other small songbirds.

Paul Gunderson
Elk River=



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