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:

Journal/Article

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:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Journal

Format:

text/xml

Resource Identifier:

10.3161/068.042.0102

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

eng

Language of abstract:

pol ; eng

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Free Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. May be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Access:

Open