Abdim’s Stork Ciconia abdimii Exploitation of Senegalese Grasshopper Oedaleus senegalensis in South-eastern Niger

Petersen, Bo Svenning; Christensen, Kim; Falk, Knud; Jensen, Flemming P.; Ouambama, Z.

doi:10.1675/1524-4695(2008)31[159:ascaeo]2.0.co;2

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…However, they are well known from intra‐African migrants that feed on grasshoppers like the Grasshopper Buzzard Butastur rufipennis (Del Hoyo, Elliott & Christie ), Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii (Petersen et al . ), Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis , Abyssinian Rollers Coracias abyssinicus and African Grey Hornbills Tockus nasutus (Jensen, Christensen & Petersen ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

APalaearctic migratory raptor species tracks shifting prey availability within its wintering range in theSahel

Trierweiler

Mullié²,

Drent

et al. 2012

Journal of Animal Ecology

109

141

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Summary1. Mid-winter movements of up to several hundreds of kilometres are typical for many migratory bird species wintering in Africa. Unpredictable temporary food concentrations are thought to result in random movements of such birds, whereas resightings and recoveries of marked birds suggest some degree of site fidelity. Only detailed (e.g. satellite) tracking of individual migrants can reveal the relative importance and the causes of site choice flexibility and fidelity. The present study investigates how mid-winter movements of a Palaearctic-African migratory raptor, Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus, in the Sahel of West Africa are related to the availability of food resources. 2. Thirty harriers breeding or hatched in northern Europe were satellite tracked (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)). On average, four home ranges, each separated by c. 200 km, were visited during one overwinter stay in the Sahel. Wintering home ranges were similar in size to breeding season home ranges (average over wintering and breeding home range size c. 200 km 2 ), and harriers showed high site fidelity between years. 3. Most preferred habitat types in the Sahel were mosaics of grass-and cropland, indicating similar habitat preferences in both the breeding-and wintering seasons. 4. The main prey of Montagu's harriers in the Sahel were grasshoppers Acrididae. Highest grasshopper numbers in the field occurred at relatively low vegetation greenness [normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values 0Á17-0Á27]. We used NDVI as a proxy of food availability for harriers. 5. During their overwinter stay, Montagu's harriers moved in a South-South-western direction between consecutive home ranges. The birds selected areas within the range of NDVI values associated with high grasshopper numbers, thus tracking a 'green belt' of predictable changes in highest grasshopper availability. 6. Contrary to earlier hypotheses of random movements in the Sahelian-wintering quarters, the present study shows that Montagu's harriers visited distinct home ranges, they were sitefaithful and tracked seasonal changes in food availability related to previous rainfall patterns, caused by the shifting Intertropical Convergence Zone. Itinerancy may be the rule rather than an exception among insectivorous birds wintering in African savannahs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

APalaearctic migratory raptor species tracks shifting prey availability within its wintering range in theSahel

Trierweiler

Mullié²,

Drent

et al. 2012

Journal of Animal Ecology

109

141

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In the tropics, where reduced seasonality means fewer and less severe outbreaks, the interactions may be rather different in nature and extent (Van Bael et al 2004). The few studies undertaken to date in Africa have concentrated on the impacts of birds on particular pest species; for example, in relation to locust and grasshopper populations in the Sahel (Sanchez-Zapata et al 2007;Petersen et al 2008;Axelsen 2009) and pests such as fruit weevils and maize beetles in temperate southern Africa (Witt et al 1995;Musikavanhu 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the contribution of birds to the control of arthropod pests on kale,Brassica oleracea acephala, a key crop in East African highland farmland

Ndang’ang’a

Njoroge

Vickery

2013

International Journal of Pest Management

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Bird exclusion experiments on kale (Brassica sp.) plants were undertaken to quantify the extent to which foraging birds contributed to reducing the densities and impact of invertebrate pests. During the dry season, significantly higher leaf-area loss, aphid and thrips abundance were recorded in bird-excluded compared with control plants, suggesting that birds could make an important contribution to pest control. On average, per week, during the dry season, exclusion of birds from kale plants led to both a marked increase (130%) in the number of leaves infested with aphids and an increase in leaf damage by pests (about three times greater than when birds had access to the kale plants). These results suggest that, in the dry season, foraging birds reduce the invertebrate pest load and hence the amount of leaf damage in kale, and that this may, in turn, have an impact of the market value of the crop. We recommend that measures to enhance avian insectivory should be explored and encouraged in order to better take advantage of birds in integrated pest management of kale and possibly other crops.

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Section: Changing Views On Avian Predation After Widespread Introduction Of Chemical Locust Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Black Kites Milvus migrans and Pied Crows Corvus alba, but also White Storks and Abdim's Storks Ciconia abdimii, Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni and Montagu's Harriers Circus pygargus. Based on extensive field work in Niger, Petersen et al (2008) and Falk et al (2006) found that pre-migratory movements of Abdim's Storks are in synchrony with the seasonal movements of Senegalese Grasshoppers.Most published accounts on predation of acridids in Africa since the Second World War are of birds present during major outbreaks of locusts. It is therefore not surprising that several authors concluded that the efficacy of (avian) predators in dealing with swarms during upsurges or plagues was rather limited (Dean 1964, Stower & Greathead 1969.…”

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confidence: 99%

Don't kill your allies : The impact of chemical and biological locust and grasshopper control on birds

Mullié

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Changing views on avian predation after widespread introduction of chemical locust control Elliott (1962) mentioned more than one hundred bird species of 34 families as locust predators in Eastern Africa. Husain & Bhalla (1931) did the same for the Indian subcontinent and came up with 35 species, while more than 200 bird species were found to prey on grasshoppers in the USA (Metcalf 1980). An updated survey of published accounts and other relevant sources conducted by Table 21) revealed that at least 537 bird species of 61 families are currently known to prey upon locusts and grasshoppers in Africa. Several bird families in Africa, such as the Coraciidae and Laniidae, appear to be specialised acridivores. A wide range of acridid species is recorded as food for Ciconiidae, Glareolidae and Corvidae. Individual bird species which can be associated with a diverse acridid diet are e.g. Black Kites Milvus migrans and Pied Crows Corvus alba, but also White Storks and Abdim's Storks Ciconia abdimii, Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni and Montagu's Harriers Circus pygargus. Based on extensive field work in Niger, Petersen et al. (2008) and Falk et al. (2006) found that pre-migratory movements of Abdim's Storks are in synchrony with the seasonal movements of Senegalese Grasshoppers.Most published accounts on predation of acridids in Africa since the Second World War are of birds present during major outbreaks of locusts. It is therefore not surprising that several authors concluded that the efficacy of (avian) predators in dealing with swarms during upsurges or plagues was rather limited (Dean 1964, Stower & Greathead 1969. The magnitude of such locust swarms (adults) or of hopper bands (nymphal stages), however, was of an extremely massive nature, as visually described by Meinertzhagen (1959): "The hoppers were at Middelburg (Cape) and so numerous that trains were held up owing to squashed bodies greasing the lines so that engine wheels would not bite the rails…".Given the unpredictable nature of locust outbreaks, grasshoppers, in particular the species surviving the dry season as diapausing adults, are a much more reliable food source for (migratory) birds wintering in the Sahel than migratory locusts. However, it was not until recently that this concept found its advocates (Mullié et al. 1995, Jensen et al. 2006. The importance of Ornithacris cavroisi as a major prey species during the dry season in the Sahel has meanwhile been described for Swallow-tailed Kites Chelictinia riocourii

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Abdim’s Stork Ciconia abdimii Exploitation of Senegalese Grasshopper Oedaleus senegalensis in South-eastern Niger

Cited by 9 publications

References 7 publications

APalaearctic migratory raptor species tracks shifting prey availability within its wintering range in theSahel

APalaearctic migratory raptor species tracks shifting prey availability within its wintering range in theSahel

Quantifying the contribution of birds to the control of arthropod pests on kale,Brassica oleracea acephala, a key crop in East African highland farmland

Don't kill your allies : The impact of chemical and biological locust and grasshopper control on birds

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