Snakes are important nest predators of Dickcissels in an agricultural landscape

We used video cameras to monitor 33 Dickcissel (Spiza americana) nests during 20032004 in the highly-fragmented, agricultural ecosystem of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Nine nests fledged young, 20 were completely depredated, three were partially depredated, and one was abandoned due to ants. Nine snakes, six small mammals, six common raccoons (Procyon lotor), two Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), and one American mink (Neovison vison) were documented as nest predators. These results suggest a diversity of predators is responsible for depredation of Dickcissel nests with snake predation being an important cause of nest failure.