Title:

Seasonal Diet of the Grey Heron Ardea cinerea on an Oceanic Island (Tenerife, Canary Islands): Indirect Interaction with Wild Seed Plants

Subtitle:

Pokarm czapli siwej na Teneryfie (Wyspy Kanaryjskie) w cyklu rocznym — pośrednie związki z rozsiewaniem nasion ; Grey Heron insular diet and seed interaction

Creator:

Rodríguez, Airam ; Rodríguez, Beneharo ; Rumeu, Beatriz ; Nogales, Manuel

Contributor:

Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Publisher:

Natura Optima Dux Foundation ; Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Place of publishing:

Warsaw

Date issued/created:

2007

Description:

pg(s) 77–87

Type of object:

Czasopismo/Artykuł

Subject and Keywords:

Grey Heron ; Ardea cinerea ; feeding ecology ; seasonal diet pattern ; secondary seed disperser ; islands ; czapla siwa

Abstract:

In 199 pellets analyzed a total of 7 460 prey items were counted, 96.2% of which were arthropods. Aeshnidae larvae (Odonata) made up 66.1% of the total prey items and were the main invertebrate group. Vertebrates constituted 3.8%, with reptiles and mammals being the main prey of this type (1.8% each). Despite the small size of the invertebrates, this group reached > 60% in terms of biomass. All the main prey items varied significantly among seasons. Odonata was the most important group in all seasons, reaching its maximum value in summer. In the case of vertebrates, reptiles were captured mainly in spring, mammals in winter. With regard to indirect interaction with seeds, a total of 901 seeds associated with lizard remains were found in 77 pellets, indicating that they had previously been consumed by these reptiles. External visual damage of seeds was low and only 1.1% was destroyed. No seeds germinated after the four-month germination experiment and practically all of them were unviable. In conclusion, these results indicate that Grey Heron diet on islands varies in comparison with continental zones, including an important number of invertebrates and reptiles. Furthermore, this bird acts as an opportunistic secondary seed disperser, although its ecological effect does not seem to be very significant for the dynamics of the Canary Island ecosystems.

Relation:

Acta Ornithologica

Volume:

42

Issue:

1

Start page:

77

End page:

87

Resource type:

Tekst

Detailed Resource Type:

Czasopismo

Format:

text/xml

Resource Identifier:

10.3161/068.042.0102

Source:

MiIZ PAN, sygn. P.257 ; MiIZ PAN, sygn. P.4568

Language:

eng

Language of abstract:

pol ; eng

Rights:

Prawa zastrzeżone - dostęp nieograniczony

Terms of use:

Zasób chroniony prawem autorskim. Korzystanie dozwolone w zakresie określonym przez przepisy o dozwolonym użytku.

Digitizing institution:

Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk

Original in:

Biblioteka Muzeum i Instytutu Zoologii PAN

Projects co-financed by:

Program Operacyjny Innowacyjna Gospodarka, lata 2010-2014, Priorytet 2. Infrastruktura strefy B + R ; Unia Europejska. Europejski Fundusz Rozwoju Regionalnego

Access:

Otwarty