Provisioning with cereal grain depresses the body condition of insectivorous Yellowhammer<i>Emberiza citrinella</i>nestlings

Douglas, D.; Moreby, S. J.; Benton, Tim G.

doi:10.1080/00063657.2011.636797

Cited by 7 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This increase in seed consumption may impact the total number of chicks surviving to the fledgling stage as plant foods are a poor source of protein compared to invertebrates (Potts, 2012). Other studies showed that consuming less invertebrates led to reduced growth rates and depressed body conditions in yellowhammer chicks (Douglas et al 2012), slower growth rates and consequently fledgling weights in great Parus major and blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus (Naef-Daenzer and Keller, 1999), and delayed fledging in house martins Delichon urbicum (Johnston, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agri-environmental measures and the breeding ecology of a declining farmland bird

McHugh

Prior²,

Grice

et al. 2017

Biological Conservation

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Agricultural intensification is a key cause of the population declines shown by many farmland bird species across Europe. Changes in land management through agri-environment schemes (AES) are frequently cited as the best tool to reverse these trends, to date however they have received mixed support. This study tested whether AES options in England that provide winter seed food or insect-rich foraging during the breeding season, were associated with improved breeding performance in tree sparrow, Passer montanus, and/or the formation of larger breeding colonies. Breeding attempts (n=428) representing 210 pairs of tree sparrow comprising 22 colonies were compared in Wiltshire, England in 2013 and 2014. The area of margin AES, an insect-rich habitat, was positively correlated with fledgling success per breeding attempt and per breeding pair. Colony size increased with increasing wild bird seed mix AES area, a winter seed food resource, but this option negatively affected hatching success and the number of fledglings produced per breeding attempt. The observed association between colony size and this habitat was expected given that wild bird seed mixtures provide important seed food resources for granivorous birds during winter. The negative correlation with fledgling success, on the other hand, requires further investigation to determine whether this relationship relates to a lack of invertebrate and seed food during the breeding period. These results highlight the importance of providing a suite of AES habitats that are appropriately located to deliver both overwintering and breeding requirements of target, declining farmland birds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agri-environmental measures and the breeding ecology of a declining farmland bird

McHugh

Prior²,

Grice

et al. 2017

Biological Conservation

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“…, Douglas et al . ). In those studies, the area of cereal remains were estimated under a microscope in grid squares (10 × 10 mm) and calculated as the percentage of the sample area across a Petri dish rounded to the nearest 5%.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…D ıaz 1996, Wilson et al 1999, Holland et al 2006, Gil-Delgado et al 2009, Pearce-Higgins 2010, Douglas et al 2012. It has been suggested that the provision of cereal grains to nestlings of some seed-eating bird species living in modern agroecosytems, such as some European buntings (Emberizidae), is the result of poor food conditions owing to shortages of animal prey, the availability of which has decreased as a result of agricultural intensification (Brickle & Harper 1999, Morris et al 2001, Hart et al 2006, Douglas et al 2012). Therefore, it has been suggested that cereal crops can provide an additional source of nestling food in the form of partially ripe cereal grain (Stoate et al 1998, Morris et al 2001, Douglas et al 2012.…”

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confidence: 99%

The significance of seed food in chick development re‐evaluated by tracking day‐to‐day dietary variation in the nestlings of a granivorous passerine

Orłowski

Wuczyński

Karg

et al. 2016

Ibis

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The dietary adjustment of nestlings of granivorous birds to a seed diet and the different morphological characteristics of ingested food have rarely been examined in natural conditions. It has been suggested that the provision of cereal grains to nestlings of some seed‐eating bird species in modern agroecosytems is the result of poor food conditions after agricultural intensification. We analysed the abundance of invertebrate prey in the main foraging habitat of parent birds, daily changes (from hatching to fledging) in the efficiency of cereal seed digestion, and the dietary characteristics, diet composition and prey type delivered to nestlings of the Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella. Analysis of faecal sacs from nests located in breeding habitat with an abundant invertebrate fauna revealed no relationship between the proportion of cereal seeds in the diet of nestlings and the food supply in the main foraging sites of the parents. Neonate nestlings (1 day old) exclusively received weakly chitinized invertebrate prey (arachnids and flies), but from the second day of life the nestlings were fed a variety of highly chitinized invertebrate prey, the percentage biomass of which did not change for the remainder of the nesting period. Cereal grains started to be delivered to 3‐day‐old nestlings and were already efficiently digested, and the percentage biomass of this food type increased progressively with nestling age. We suggest that the provisioning of cereal grains to nestlings is not forced by external factors, such as modern agricultural intensification; rather, it is an intentional behaviour of parent birds aimed at achieving physiological adjustment to seed food in the early stages of ontogeny.

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“…This is known to depress nestling body condition in other farmland bird species e.g. Yellowhammer (Douglas et al 2012) and can impact their future survival and fitness as a consequence (Wright et al 1998, Lindstrom 1999.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The diet of Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus nestlings in relation to agri-environment scheme habitats

McHugh

Prior²,

Leather

2016

Bird Study

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Provisioning with cereal grain depresses the body condition of insectivorous YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellanestlings

Cited by 7 publications

References 15 publications

Agri-environmental measures and the breeding ecology of a declining farmland bird

Agri-environmental measures and the breeding ecology of a declining farmland bird

The significance of seed food in chick development re‐evaluated by tracking day‐to‐day dietary variation in the nestlings of a granivorous passerine

The diet of Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus nestlings in relation to agri-environment scheme habitats

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