First Record of White-tailed Deer Depredating Saltmarsh Sparrow Nests

John A. Herbert^1,*, James M. O’Neill², Deirdre E. Robinson³, Joel Eckerson⁴, and Steven E. Reinert⁵

¹Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 277 Great Neck Road, West Kingston, RI 02892. ²74 Aaron Avenue, Bristol, RI 02809. ³34 Sullivan Lane, Bristol, RI 02809. ⁴751 Oak Street, North Dighton, MA 02764. ⁵11 Talcott Street, Barrington, RI 02806. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 30, Issue 1 (2023): N1–N7

Abstract
Ammospiza caudacuta (Saltmarsh Sparrow) is a salt marsh-nesting obligate species of greatest conservation concern due to decreasing populations and probable future threats, such as climate change-induced sea-level rise. Low reproductive success is a limiting factor to population growth for the species due to flooding, habitat loss, and predation. To further understand the effects of predation on nesting Saltmarsh Sparrows, we deployed camera traps at monitored nests in Jacob’s Point salt marsh, Warren, RI, during the 2022 breeding period. In 2 instances of observed nest failure, camera traps captured the apparent depredation of eggs by Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer). We believe these to be the first documented cases of Saltmarsh Sparrow nest predation by White-tailed Deer. This finding has implications for the conservation of Saltmarsh Sparrows and for future management strategies aimed at increasing breeding success.

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