The Winter Feeding of the Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) on the Edible Cockle (Cardium edule)

Drinnan, R. E.

doi:10.2307/1758

Cited by 57 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…Numenius phaeopus 5 385.0 Martin (1991), , Zwarts (1985) Boates & Goss-Custard (1989, , Bunskoeke (1988), Bunskoeke et al (1996), Cayford & Goss-Custard (1990), Davidson (1967), Drinnan (1957Drinnan ( , 1958, Durell et al (1996), Ens & Goss-Custard (1984), Ens et al (1993, Goss-Custard (1977 c), Habekotté (1987), Heppleston (1971), Hosper (1978), Hulscher (1976Hulscher ( , 1982, Hulscher et al (1996), Koene (1978), Leopold et al (1989), Maagaard & Jensen (1994, Meire (1996 a, b), Meire & Eryvynck (1986), Müller (1999, Nagarajan (2000), Petersen (1995), Sitters (2000), Speakman (1987), Swennen (1990), Triplet (1989), Umland (2000), Veenstra (1977), Wanink & Zwarts (1985), Wolff (2000), Zwarts & Blomert (1996), Zwarts & Drent (1981), Zwarts & Wanink (1984), American oystercatcher (1990), Martin (1991), Petersen (1995), Rippe & Dierschke (1997), Siman (1989), Wolff (2000), Umland (2000), …”

Section: Whimbrelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates

Goss‐Custard¹,

West²,

Yates³

et al. 2006

Biol. Rev.

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As field determinations take much effort, it would be useful to be able to predict easily the coefficients describing the functional response of free-living predators, the function relating food intake rate to the abundance of food organisms in the environment. As a means easily to parameterise an individual-based model of shorebird Charadriiformes populations, we attempted this for shorebirds eating macro-invertebrates. Intake rate is measured as the ash-free dry mass (AFDM) per second of active foraging ; i.e. excluding time spent on digestive pauses and other activities, such as preening. The present and previous studies show that the general shape of the functional response in shorebirds eating approximately the same size of prey across the full range of prey density is a decelerating rise to a plateau, thus approximating the Holling type II (' disc equation ') formulation. But field studies confirmed that the asymptote was not set by handling time, as assumed by the disc equation, because only about half the foraging time was spent in successfully or unsuccessfully attacking and handling prey, the rest being devoted to searching.A review of 30 functional responses showed that intake rate in free-living shorebirds varied independently of prey density over a wide range, with the asymptote being reached at very low prey densities (<150/m x2 ). Accordingly, most of the many studies of shorebird intake rate have probably been conducted at or near the asymptote of the functional response, suggesting that equations that predict intake rate should also predict the asymptote.A multivariate analysis of 468 ' spot ' estimates of intake rates from 26 shorebirds identified ten variables, representing prey and shorebird characteristics, that accounted for 81% of the variance in logarithm-transformed intake rate. But four-variables accounted for almost as much (77.3%), these being bird size, prey size, whether the bird was an oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus eating mussels Mytilus edulis, or breeding. The four variable equation under-predicted, on average, the observed 30 estimates of the asymptote by 11.6 %, but this discrepancy was reduced to 0.2% when two suspect estimates from one early study in the 1960s were removed. The equation therefore predicted the observed asymptote very successfully in 93% of cases.We conclude that the asymptote can be reliably predicted from just four easily measured variables. Indeed, if the birds are not breeding and are not oystercatchers eating mussels, reliable predictions can be obtained using just two variables, bird and prey sizes. A multivariate analysis of 23 estimates of the half-asymptote constant suggested they were smaller when prey were small but greater when the birds were large, especially in oystercatchers. The resulting equation could be used to predict the half-asymptote constant, but its predictive power has yet to be tested.As well as predicting the asymptote of the functional response, the equations will enable research workers engaged in many areas of shore...

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Section: Whimbrelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates

Goss‐Custard¹,

West²,

Yates³

et al. 2006

Biol. Rev.

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“…From these collections 25 two-year-old cockles were selected at random and brought to the laboratory for analysis of infection with Meiogymnophallus minutus larvae. This cohort was selected because of its generally high abundance throughout the estuary and because at other localities oystercatchers are known to prefer this size class (Drinnan, 1957;Davidson 1967).…”

Section: Field Collections -Cocklesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population biology of Meiogymnophallus minutus (Trematoda: Gymnophallidae) in cockles from the Exe Estuary

Goater

1993

J. Mar. Biol. Ass.

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Spatial, seasonal and age-related differences in infection of the cockle, Cerastoderma edule, with the trematode Meiogymnophallus minutus were studied on the Exe Estuary, England. Prevalence of infection was 100% across all samples with mean abundances between approximately 300 and 1000 larvae per host (maximum=4930 larvae). Aggregration of M. minutus in cockles was extremely high (variancermean ratios >100) and increased linearly as abundance increased. Mean abundance was highest in cockles collected from muddy substrates where the average age of cockles was high. In summer, numbers of larvae fell to less than half of spring levels and then increased after infection by a new wave of cercariae in August. Cockles accumulated larvae for up to 2 y but not thereafter, and levels of aggregation fell in the oldest age class. A peaked pattern of mean abundance and aggregation with age may be a result of parasite-induced death of older hosts or may be due to the inability of cercariae to establish in older hosts.

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“…Mussel sizes taken by oystercatchers on the Neuharlingersieler Nacken were at the lower end of the range of their preferred mussel sizes (Drinnan, 1958;Ens, 1982;Durell & Goss-Custard, 1984;Sutherland & Ens, 1987;Cayford & Goss-Custard, 1990). Most profitable mussels should have at least a size of 40 mm (Zwarts & Drent, 1981;Ens, 1982;Meire & Ervyinck, 1986).…”

Section: Feeding Ratementioning

confidence: 98%

The influence of predation by herring gullsLarus argentatus and oystercatchersHaematopus ostralegus on a newly established musselMytilus edulis bed in autumn and winter

Hilgerloh

Herlyn²,

Michaelis³

1997

Helgoländer Meeresunters.

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Predation by herring gulls Larus argentatus and oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus was evaluated on a newly established mussel A4ytilus edulis bed on tidal flats of the German Wadden Sea. The mussel bed covered an area of 2 ha and showed a decrease in biomass of 40 % in the most densely covered parts from August to January. Synchronously, the extent of the mussel bed was reduced, resulting in a decrease of average biomass of 98 % over the whole mussel bed. From the beginning of August 1994 to mid January 1995, the average size of mussels increased from 10.7 to 20.3 ram. The P/B-ratio was 0.68 in August and 0.18 between September and November. Herring gulls and oystercatchers were the most important mussel predators. On average, 266 herring gulls and 63 oystercatchers were present on the mussel bed during one low tide; 34 % of the herring gulls and 78 % of the oystercatchers were observed to be feeding. Herring gulls fed at a rate of 4.2 mussels per minute and oystercatchers at a rate of 1.3 mussels per minute. While herring gulls took the most common mussel sizes (mean: 20 mm), oystercatchers searched for the largest mussels available (mean: 25 ram). Herring gulls consumed 13 mussels/m 2 (0.3g AFDW) during one day and oystercatchers 1.7 mussels/m ~ (0.1 g AFDW). Predation by birds was compensated by 33 % of the production. The proportion removed by bird predation amounted to 10 % of abundance and to 16 % of biomass (including production). Oystercatchers were responsible for 1% of the reduction in abundance and for 3 % of biomass. Removal was highest in the most common size classes of mussels, mainly caused by herring gulls. However, the highest proportion of mussels was eaten in the largest size classes, mainly by oystercatchers.

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The Winter Feeding of the Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) on the Edible Cockle (Cardium edule)

Cited by 57 publications

References 0 publications

Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates

Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates

Population biology of Meiogymnophallus minutus (Trematoda: Gymnophallidae) in cockles from the Exe Estuary

The influence of predation by herring gullsLarus argentatus and oystercatchersHaematopus ostralegus on a newly established musselMytilus edulis bed in autumn and winter

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