From Box to Belly: Recovery of Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Duckling Web Tags in American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)

Aruã de Castro^1,*, Miriam Boucher¹, Beau Bauer², Thomas R. Rainwater³, and James T. Anderson¹

¹James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center, Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, PO Box 596, Georgetown, SC 29442. ²Nemours Wildlife Foundation, Yemassee, SC 29945. ³Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center and Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, PO Box 596, Georgetown, SC 29442. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 25, Issue 1 (2026): N20-N28

First published early online: 31 March 2026

Abstract
Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) commonly feed on birds, but due to rapid digestion, consumption of birds by Alligators may be underreported when determined through examination of stomach contents. However, on occasion, some bird species consumed by Alligators have been identified from recoveries of external marks (e.g., avian leg bands and radio transmitters) from stomachs. Here, we report novel observations of web tags from Aix sponsa (Wood Duck) ducklings recovered from hunter-harvested Alligator stomachs as part of a regional Alligator-diet study. We recovered 6 duckling web tags from 2 Alligators: 1 in South Carolina (5 tags) and 1 in Florida (1 tag). We also provide information (e.g., hatching location) on ducklings from which web tags were recovered, as these birds were marked during a regional study of box-nesting Wood Duck reproductive ecology. Our observations may have implications for waterfowl management, as the effects of Alligator predation on Wood Duck ducklings may be underreported where these species are sympatric.

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