Galapagos Mockingbird (<i>Mimus parvulus</i>) Preys on an Invasive Mammal

Gotanda, Kiyoko M.; Sharpe, Diana M. T.; León, Luis F. De

doi:10.1676/14-055.1

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Similar prey-shaking behaviour has been reported for other birds [23 -25], crocodilians [26], mammals [27], snakes [28], lizards [29] and has even been inferred in Tyrannosaurus rex [30]. However, save for 'spinning' in crocodiles [26], many of these differ substantively from our observations of axial head-rolling in shrikes, in that the prey are beaten against the substrate [23,25], or the action emanates primarily from side-to-side (yaw) movements [28,31]. When combined with the effects of beak shape and bite force [32], this behaviour may help explain how shrikes dispatch relatively larger vertebrate prey than would be expected for their body sizes [2], and provides another example of the importance of prey inertial forces for feeding in predators [26,30].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes

2018

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Shrikes use their beaks for procuring, dispatching and processing their arthropod and vertebrate prey. However, it is not clear how the raptor-like bill of this predatory songbird functions to kill vertebrate prey that may weigh more than the shrike itself. In this paper, using high-speed videography, we observed that upon seizing prey with their beaks, shrikes performed rapid (6-17 Hz; 49-71 rad s) axial head-rolling movements. These movements accelerated the bodies of their prey about their own necks at -forces of approximately 6, and may be sufficient to cause pathological damage to the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord. Thus, when tackling relatively large vertebrates, shrikes appear to use inertia of their prey's own body against them.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes

2018

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“…One way that organisms could cope with altered resources is through behavioral flexibility, defined as the ability of organisms to alter their behavior in response to changing environments (Coppens, Boer, & Koolhaas, 2010). Behavioral flexibility is expected to facilitate the exploration of novel ecological resources (Inouye, 1978;Sol et al, 2014;Sol, Lefebvre, & Rodríguez-Teijeiro, 2005;Sol, Timmermans, & Lefebvre, 2002;Tebbich, Sterelny, & Teschke, 2010;Wright et al, 2010), in both natural environments (Liebl & Martin, 2014;Nicolakakis et al, 2003;Sol et al, 2005) and urban environments (Bowers & Breland, 1996;Gotanda, Sharpe, & Léon, 2015;Lowry et al, 2013;Martin & Fitzgerald, 2005;Schochat et al, 2006;Sol et al, 2014). In birds, behavioral flexibility in urban environments is sometimes associated with a reduction in neophobia (Atwell et al, 2012;Boogert, Reader, & Laland, 2006;Martin & Fitzgerald, 2005;Sol et al, 2014) and the incorporation of novel human foods into diets (Boogert et al, 2010;Ducatez et al, 2015;Shochat, Lerman, Katti, & Lewis, 2004;Sol et al, 2002;Sol, Griffin, Bartomeus, & Boyce, 2011;Sol, Lapiedra, & González-Lagos, 2013).…”

Section: Behavioral Flexibility and Adaptation To Urban Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urbanization erodes niche segregation in Darwin's finches

León

Sharpe

Gotanda

et al. 2018

Evolutionary Applications

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Urbanization is influencing patterns of biological evolution in ways that are only beginning to be explored. One potential effect of urbanization is in modifying ecological resource distributions that underlie niche differences and that thus promote and maintain species diversification. Few studies have assessed such modifications, or their potential evolutionary consequences, in the context of ongoing adaptive radiation. We study this effect in Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands, by quantifying feeding preferences and diet niche partitioning across sites with different degrees of urbanization. We found higher finch density in urban sites and that feeding preferences and diets at urban sites skew heavily toward human food items. Furthermore, we show that finches at urban sites appear to be accustomed to the presence of people, compared with birds at sites with few people. In addition, we found that human behavior via the tendency to feed birds at non‐urban but tourist sites is likely an important driver of finch preferences for human foods. Site differences in diet and feeding behavior have resulted in larger niche breadth within finch species and wider niche overlap between species at the urban sites. Both factors effectively minimize niche differences that would otherwise facilitate interspecies coexistence. These findings suggest that both human behavior and ongoing urbanization in Galápagos are starting to erode ecological differences that promote and maintain adaptive radiation in Darwin's finches. Smoothing of adaptive landscapes underlying diversification represents a potentially important yet underappreciated consequence of urbanization. Overall, our findings accentuate the fragility of the initial stages of adaptive radiation in Darwin's finches and raise concerns about the fate of the Galápagos ecosystems in the face of increasing urbanization.

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“…The Galapagos mockingbird is a predominately insectivorous and fruit-eating species, searching much of its food on the ground. They are known to feed occasionally on small vertebrates including mammals, birds and sea lion placenta ( Zalophus wollebaeki ) [ 33 , 35 ]. Similarly, even if mainly piscivore, the magnificent frigatebird can feed on chicks and carrion that includes sea lion placenta [ 53 , 54 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Occasional carnivore (Omnivore) + +++ ++ Grant et al [33] Curry et al [34] Gotanda et al [35] Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens Occasional carnivore (Mainly piscivore) + +++ Calixto-Albarra ´n et al [36] Green warbler finch Certhidea olivacea Insectivore +++ + Filek et al [37] Yellow warbler Setophaga petechia aureola Insectivore +++ + Guerrero et al [38] Galapagos flycatcher Myiarchus magnirostris Insectivore +++ + Tebbich et al [39] Medium ground finch Geospiza fortis Granivore + +++ De Leo ´n et al [40] Small ground finch Geospiza fuliginosa Granivore + +++ Boag et al [41] Small tree finch Camarhynchus parvulus Insectivore & granivore +++ +++ Tebbich et al [39] Red-billed tropicbird Phaeton aethereus Strict piscivore +++ Castillo-Guerrero et al [42] Blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii Strict piscivore +++ Anchundia et al [43] Nazca booby Sula granti Strict piscivore +++ Garcı ´a et al [44] Swallow-tailed gull Creagrus furcatus Strict piscivore +++ Harris et al [45] Hailman et al [46] Great frigatebird Fregata minor Strict piscivore +++ Harrison et al [47] https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287403.t003…”

Section: Galapagos Mockingbird Mimus Parvulusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Galapagos birds: Inference of risk factors associated with diet

et al. 2023

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Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic intracellular parasite of particular concern in the conservation of wildlife due to its ability to infect all homeotherms and potentially cause acute fatal disease in naive species. In the Galapagos (Ecuador), an archipelago composed of more than a hundred islets and islands, the presence of T. gondii can be attributed to human-introduced domestic cats, but little is known about its transmission in wildlife populations. We compared the prevalence of antibodies against T. gondii in sympatric Galapagos wild bird species that differ in diet and contact with oocyst-contaminated soil to determine the relative importance of trophic habits as an exposure factor. Plasma samples were obtained from 163 land birds inhabiting Santa Cruz, one of the cat-inhabited islands, and from 187 seabirds breeding in cat-free surrounding islands (Daphne Major, North Seymour, and South Plaza). These samples were tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test (MAT ≥ 1:10). All seven species of land birds and 4/6 species of seabirds presented seropositive results. All great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) (N = 25) and swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus) (N = 23) were seronegative. Prevalence ranged from 13% in Nazca boobies (Sula granti) to 100% in Galapagos mockingbirds (Mimus parvulus). It decreased from occasional carnivores (63.43%) to granivores-insectivores (26.22%), and strict piscivores (14.62%). These results indicate that the consumption of tissue cysts poses the highest risk of exposure to T. gondii for Galapagos birds, followed by the ingestion of plants and insects contaminated by oocysts as important transmission pathways.

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Galapagos Mockingbird (Mimus parvulus) Preys on an Invasive Mammal

Cited by 4 publications

References 15 publications

Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes

Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes

Urbanization erodes niche segregation in Darwin's finches

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Galapagos birds: Inference of risk factors associated with diet

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