Abstract
Corvids are opportunistic omnivores and facultative scavengers, but there are no direct records of Cyanocorax species scavenging on carrion. We documented opportunistic feeding behavior of the White-throated Magpie-Jay (Cyanocorax formosus) on a road-killed Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) in northwestern Costa Rica. On 25 August 2023, we observed three White-throated Magpie-Jays feeding on the carcass of a Common Pauraque, likely killed by collision with a vehicle, along a gravel road near the Taboga Forestry Reserve. This provides de first documented evidence of the White-throated Magpie-Jay scavenging on roadkill, and of carrion consumption by a Central American corvid. Given the White-throated Magpie-Jay's adaptability and its opportunistic nature as an omnivorous predator, this species may exploit roadkill as a readily available food source.