Potential Impact of the Alien American Mink (Neovison Vison) on Magellanic Woodpeckers (Campephilus Magellanicus) in Navarino Island, Southern Chile

The American mink (Neovison vison) has been described as one of the worst invasive species in the northern hemisphere. Although some studies on the mink exist for the southern hemisphere, aside from impacts on marine and freshwater birds, its effect on other components of the biota is not well understood. Here, as a result of 3 different studies, we report evidence for the mink as a predator of the Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus). To our knowledge, these are the first evidences of predation on this charismatic and endemic woodpecker and indicate that mink might have a more widespread impact on forest birds than was initially suspected. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht (outside the USA).