The Diet of Nestling Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii in Niger

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

doi:10.1675/1524-4695(2006)29[215:tdonas]2.0.co;2

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…For residents, the introduction into the simulation can be interpreted as the time when they switch partly or entirely to an insect diet. For the birds which are present in the Sahel in relatively high densities (Petersen et al 2007) and are known also to feed on resources other than insects (Fry et al 1982(Fry et al -2004, estimates of the insect and grasshopper fractions of the food, based either on information in the literature (Fry et al 1982(Fry et al -2004 or the ornithological investigations by Falk et al (2006) and Petersen et al (2007) were used to calculate the fraction of the demand to be satisfied from other sources than O. senegalensis and other insects. This source was not simulated, but the fraction of noninsect food was assumed to be available.…”

Section: The Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation studies of Senegalese Grasshopper ecosystem interactions I: the ecosystem model

Axelsen

2009

International Journal of Pest Management

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I present a model that could simulate the ecosystem dynamics of the Senegalese Grasshopper (Oedaleus senegalensis, Krauss) in the Sahel. It included the migration of the grasshopper by simulating the population dynamics and migration in a number of locations along a south-north transect. The model ecosystem in each location comprised: (i) millet, (ii) a natural Sahelian grass representing the grassland vegetation, (iii) the Senegalese grasshopper; (iv) a less important grasshopper, Acrotylus blondlii, Saussure; (v) two species of grasshopper egg pod predators; and (vi) 24 species of birds that prey on grasshoppers. The model was rain-driven, used real climatic measurements as input, and was able to include the impact of grasshopper control measures such as treatment with chemical pesticides and the biopesticide Green Muscle 1 .The model has a wide variety of possible applications and may be used both for fundamental and applied purposes. Theoretic application may consist of investigating of the relative roles of natural egg pod predators and the many grasshopper-consuming bird species, as well as the ecological balance of a pest species that is under extensive natural control. Practical application may involve simulation of the impact of various control strategies, both on millet yield and the environment.Several simulations are presented to demonstrate the performance of the model, and to demonstrate the importance of the food web interactions, the temperature-dependent action of the biopesticide Green Muscle, and the importance of including the grasshopper migration in the model. One key result is that predation by the birds in the model might be replaced by a constant mortality rate without considerably changing the simulation of the population dynamics of O. senegalensi.

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Section: The Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation studies of Senegalese Grasshopper ecosystem interactions I: the ecosystem model

Axelsen

2009

International Journal of Pest Management

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“…Fragmented food is common even in heron species whose nestlings feed mainly from food regurgitated on the nest floor (Werschkul , Fujioka , Marchant , Marchant and Higgins , Hafner et al , Medeiros et al , Mccrimmon et al ). By contrast, storks only seldom fractionate the food bolus, regurgitating a large amount of food onto the nest that can be accessed by several nestlings simultaneously (Hoogerwerf , Haverschmidt , Kahl , , , , , , Thomas , Hancock et al , Danielsen et al , Coulter et al , Klosowski et al , Maheswaran and Rahmani , Falk et al , Urfi ; but see Thomas () and Coulter et al () for adults fractioning the food bolus when caring for very young nestlings).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the 2002 breeding season we collected samples of food delivered by parents at 35 nests 1–4 weeks old by using the neck‐collar method (Moreby and Stoate , Falk et al ). Cotton‐coated wire ligatures were placed around the nestling neck to prevent it swallowing of food, but loose enough not to strangle the chick.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kind to kin: weak interference competition among white stork Ciconia ciconia broodmates

Romero

Redondo

2016

Journal of Avian Biology

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Altricial nestlings in structured families show a diverse array of behavioural mechanisms to compete for food, ranging from signalling scrambles to aggressive interference. Rates of filial infanticide are moderately high in white storks. It has been hypothesized that this unusual behaviour is an adaptive parental response to the absence of efficient mechanisms of brood reduction (aggression or direct physical interference) by nestlings. To test this latter assumption, we analyzed video recordings of 41 complete feeding episodes at 32 broods during the first half of the nestling period, when nestlings complete 90% of growth and chick mortality and size asymmetries are highest. Parents delivered food to all nestlings simultaneously by regurgitating on the nest floor. No direct (bill to bill) feeding was recorded. Senior nestlings were never observed to limit their junior nestlings from eating food, either by aggression or physical interference. Experimental feeding tests revealed that heavier nestlings handled prey items more efficiently and ate food at a higher speed. The high degree of tolerance shown by senior nestlings is unusual among birds with similar ecological and phylogenetic affinities, such as herons. Tolerance by seniors cannot be easily explained by absence of parental favouritism or proximate factors known to affect the occurrence of sibling aggression in other species (rate of food transfer, brood size, hatching asynchrony or length of nestling period).

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“…Rather than attempting to copy wild‐diet ingredients, zoo diets must recreate nutrient composition and suitable data for wild‐diet ingredients exist for very few species (e.g. Otten et al ., ; Ramsay & Houston, ; Falk et al ., ; Eeva et al ., ). We may know that 75% of a wild‐bird's diet is fruit, yet feeding 75% fruit in captivity provides a very different intake in terms of nutrients, because fruits produced commercially for consumption by humans (and thus readily available as components of zoo diets) are so different from wild fruits (see O'Brien et al ., ; Levey & del Rio, ; Schwitzer et al ., ; Kirk Baer et al ., ; also discussion below on inclusion of ‘natural’ food items in zoo diets).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Nonetheless, an understanding of the wild diet of birds and feeding behaviour from field studies, including descriptions of what and how much is eaten, is necessary and a good place to start (e.g. Gartrell, ; Falk et al ., ), although it should be acknowledged that the final zoo diet required will vary from that in the wild in respect to production levels and amount of exercise taken. Generally zoo individuals will exercise less and, hence, require a lower energy‐density diet than that consumed in the wild, and care should be taken to address and monitor a bird's feeding in relation to its activity levels (Valdes, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing avian nutrition through best feeding practice

Fidgett

Gardner

2014

International Zoo Yearbook

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At a time when zoo populations are being relied upon for future progeny and long‐term sustainability of our avian populations, nutrition is vitally important. However, diet review, evaluation and change are often met with disinterest and complacency. Link nutrition to poor health, associated veterinary costs, poor egg production and low chick viability and suddenly the subject becomes more important. High standards are expected in other aspects of avian husbandry yet the nutritional composition of the diets often remains unknown. This article highlights advances in nutrition, useful resources, means of keeping feeding records, and tools available to evaluate and review avian diets in nutritional terms. Regularly reviewing diets ensures the nutritional care of birds keeps pace with other areas of husbandry.

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The Diet of Nestling Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii in Niger

Cited by 10 publications

References 3 publications

Simulation studies of Senegalese Grasshopper ecosystem interactions I: the ecosystem model

Simulation studies of Senegalese Grasshopper ecosystem interactions I: the ecosystem model

Kind to kin: weak interference competition among white stork Ciconia ciconia broodmates

Advancing avian nutrition through best feeding practice

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