Nutritional budgets in free flying birds: Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) feeding on washington hawthorn fruit (Crataegus phaenopyrum)

Studier, Eugene H.; Szuch, Ernest J; Tompkins, Terence M.; Cope, Virgil W.

doi:10.1016/0300-9629(88)91059-6

Cited by 25 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Birds fed on Ephedra exdifferent diets (Table 4). perienced a negative balance of proteins, fats, Na, Ca, and P (Table 4) (Berthold 1976;Bairlein 1987;Herrera 1984;Safriel 1989, 1990a;Levey and Karasov 1989;but see Walsberg 1975;Holthuijzen and Adkinsson 1984;Jordan0 1988;Studier et al 1988;Worthington 1989). In this and another study (Levey and Karasov 1989) where a mixed fruit diet was presented, the birds lost mass (but see Holthuijzen and Adkisson 1984).…”

Section: Apparent Metabolizability (Am)mentioning

confidence: 81%

A Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Mixed and Exclusive Fruit Diets for Yellow-Vented Bulbuls

Izhaki

1992

The Condor

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Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus xanthopygos) were fed a mixed diet of four fruit species (Rhamnus alaternus, Lonicera etrusca, Rubia tenuifolia, Ephedra aphylla) and diets containing each of these four fruits separately. A mixed-fruit diet proved no more nutritious than a single-fruit diet, and all the birds lost weight at the same rate regardless of diet. Birds fed a mixed-fruit diet assimilated less protein than those fed exclusively on Rubia and Rhamnus fruits, and assimilated more energy than those fed exclusively on Ephedra fruits. The apparent metabolizable energy (AME) in bulbuls fed a mixed diet (0.73) was higher than in those fed on Rubia and Ephedra (0.69 and 0.61, respectively) but lower than in those fed on Rhamnus (0.82). Protein content alone does not explain loss of body mass. However, lack of specific amino acids, or high potassium to sodium ratios, may cause mass loss. In addition, a mixed diet of four fruit species may not prevent the accumulation of secondary compounds to a damaging level resulting in low protein assimilation.

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Section: Apparent Metabolizability (Am)mentioning

confidence: 81%

A Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Mixed and Exclusive Fruit Diets for Yellow-Vented Bulbuls

Izhaki

1992

The Condor

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“…The strong preference of Cedar Waxwings for earlyover late-season fruits could have been a consequence of the higher water content of early-season fruits, which would reduce the need for supplemental water when feeding on sugary pulp with a high osmotic load (Studier et al 1988). The strong preference of Cedar Waxwings for earlyover late-season fruits could have been a consequence of the higher water content of early-season fruits, which would reduce the need for supplemental water when feeding on sugary pulp with a high osmotic load (Studier et al 1988).…”

Section: Is Fruit Consumption Triggered By Changes In Pulp Chemistry?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fruits of V. opulus declined in palatability to wild Cedar Waxwings over the winter months, and captive birds performed poorly when fed only spring fruits. The strong preference of Cedar Waxwings for earlyover late-season fruits could have been a consequence of the higher water content of early-season fruits, which would reduce the need for supplemental water when feeding on sugary pulp with a high osmotic load (Studier et al 1988). It is also possible that birds preferred early-season fruits because of the visual attractiveness of these brighter fruits.…”

Section: Is Fruit Consumption Triggered By Changes In Pulp Chemistry?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional Interactions and Fruit Removal: Cedar Waxwing Consumption of Viburnum opulus Fruits in Spring

Witmer¹

2001

Ecology

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Fruits of Viburnum opulus (highbush cranberry, guelder rose) ripen in the fall and remain uneaten throughout the winter months. To investigate the fruiting strategy of this plant, I described the natural history of fruit removal from V. opulus shrubs in central New York and investigated nutritional mechanisms for the phenology of fruit removal by its principal disperser. Viburnum opulus fruit crops were often completely consumed in April and May, almost exclusively by Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). Sugar solute concentration of V. opulus fruit pulp increased over the winter season through dehydration. When wild Cedar Waxwings were presented with early-season (removed and frozen in December) and remnant late-season (April) fruits, they strongly preferred earlyseason fruits. This result demonstrated that springtime consumption of V. opulus fruits by Cedar Waxwings is not caused by chemical changes in the fruit pulp during the winter months that enhance fruit palatability.Cedar Waxwings often fed intermittently on the male catkins of eastern cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) when eating V. opulus fruits. Feeding experiments with captive waxwings showed that birds lost body mass on either V. opulus fruits or P. deltoides catkins alone, but maintained or gained body mass when offered both foods simultaneously. The combined diet provided Cedar Waxwings with nutritionally sufficient amounts of energy from fruit sugars and protein from pollen. Two chemical characteristics of V. opulus fruits were implicated in creating a short-term demand for supplemental protein: an especially low nitrogen/carbohydrate ratio and secondary compounds. The pulp of V. opulus fruits contains secondary compounds that make this fruit very acidic, presenting consumers with the challenge of maintaining acid/base homeostasis. Elevated nitrogen losses by waxwings eating only V. opulus fruits were consistent with the hypothesis that birds catabolized protein to produce bicarbonate as an acid buffer. Secondary compounds may play a central role in the evolution of plant fruiting syndromes because of their dual effects on microbes, mediating persistence of fruits in the environment, and palatability of fruits to seed dispersers, presumably because they exact a protein cost from consumers.These results showed that nutritional interactions of seasonally ephemeral food items can determine temporal patterns of fruit consumption. The well-defended fruits of V. opulus are eaten when more palatable fruits no longer remain and when a complementary protein source becomes available. This fruiting strategy can result in wholesale seed dispersal. The restricted nature of the mutualism between waxwings and V. opulus appears to be a result of the extraordinary persistence of these fruits and the unique dietary habits of waxwings. Viburnum opulus fruits remain uneaten until the spring months, when waxwings are scavenging remnant crops of sugary fruits and most other avian frugivores have switched to animal foods.

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“…These foods generally contain very little calcium (MacLean 1974;~r a p u and swanson 1975;Turner 1982;Herrera 1987;Studier et al 1988;Allen 1989; Studier ent young, with bits of calcium-rich material such as limestone, bone, eggshells, and mollusk shells (e.g., Payne 1972;MacLean 1974;Jones 1976;Seastedt and MacLean 1977;Beasom and Patee 1978;Houston 1978;Barrentine 1980;Mayoh and Zach 1986;Ficken 1989;Repasky et al 1991;St.Louis and Breebaart 1991 ;.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of supplemental calcium on the reproductive output of a small passerine bird, the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

Johnson¹,

Barclay²

1996

Can. J. Zool.

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The normal food of most small birds (insects, seeds, and fruit) contains relatively little calcium. Birds must therefore supplement their diets, and those of their dependent young, with bits of calcium-rich material such as bone, limestone, eggshells, and mollusk shells. In this study, the question of whether the availability of calcium constrains reproductive output in a Wyoming population of the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), a small insectivorous passerine, was asked. A randomly selected group of breeding pairs was provided with a mix of crushed oystershell and chicken eggshell at their nests for the duration of their breeding cycles. Calcium-supplemented birds tended to lay more eggs per clutch and tended to raise fledglings with slightly longer feathers than unsupplemented control birds. Calcium-supplemented birds did not, however, lay larger eggs, produce more fledglings, or produce fledglings of greater mass than control birds. Unlike the situation in many anthropogenically acidified environments, calcium availability apparently does not constrain the reproductive output of House Wrens breeding in this one environment that appears to be relatively unaffected by acidic precipitation.RCsumC : La nourritiure que consomment ordinairement la plupart des petits oiseaux (insectes, graines, fruits) contient relativement peu de calcium. Les oiseaux doivent donc ajouter a leur rkgime alimentaire, et a celui de leur progeniture, des matikres riches en calcium, morceaux d'os, de calcaire, de coquilles d'oeufs ou de coquilles de mollusques. Nous avons cherchk a dkterminer si la disponibilitk du calcium impose des constraintes a la reproduction chez une population de Troglodytes familiers (Troglodytes aedon), petits passereaux insectivores, du Wyoming. Un groupe de couples reproducteurs choisis au hasard avaient accks a un mklange de coquilles broykes d'huitres et d'oeufs de poulet prks de leur nid, durant toute la durCe de leur cycle reproducteur. Ces oiseaux avaient tendance a pondre plus d'oeufs par couvke et a produire des oisillons a plumes lkgkrement plus longues au moment de l'envol que les oiseaux tkmoins sans accks a la source de calcium. Les oiseaux au rkgime additionnk de calcium n'ont cependant pas pondu des oeufs plus gros, produit plus d'oisillons prets a l'envol, ou d'oisillons de masse plus grande, que les oiseaux sans accks au calcium. Contrairement aux conditions qui prevalent dans les millieux acidifiks par l'activitk humaine, la prksence de calcium ne semble pas influencer le succks reproducteur de cette population de Troglodytes familiers qui se reproduit dans un milieu en apparence relativement peu affect6 par les prkcipitations acides. [Traduit par la Rkdaction]

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Nutritional budgets in free flying birds: Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) feeding on washington hawthorn fruit (Crataegus phaenopyrum)

Cited by 25 publications

References 21 publications

A Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Mixed and Exclusive Fruit Diets for Yellow-Vented Bulbuls

A Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Quality of Mixed and Exclusive Fruit Diets for Yellow-Vented Bulbuls

Nutritional Interactions and Fruit Removal: Cedar Waxwing Consumption of Viburnum opulus Fruits in Spring

Effects of supplemental calcium on the reproductive output of a small passerine bird, the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

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