Fruit availability and utilisation by grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropodidae: Pteropus poliocephalus) in a human-modified environment on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia

Context. Extensive clearing and modification of habitat is likely to change many facets of the environment including climate and regional food resources. Such changes may result in changes in behaviour in highly mobile fauna, such as flying foxes. Aims.The availability of fruit resources was examined to determine whether grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) have feeding preferences related to habitat or dietary items, and whether human usage of the land around the colony site has affected the resources available. Methods. Fruit availability around a colony was monitored from December 2004 to March 2005. Night surveys and faecal analyses were undertaken to determine the distribution of feeding locations, the food species used and the food items consumed by P. poliocephalus. Key results.The amount of food available per hectare in each habitat was similar. However, we found differences in the composition of food trees and the distribution of food resources within each habitat. Ficus species were a major resource with flying foxes observed feeding in figs during every survey and figs identified in droppings over the whole period. Human-modified habitats were used throughout the study period with flying foxes observed in small patches of vegetation and in individual trees without any nearby vegetation. Conclusions. The need for maintaining vegetation, particularly Ficus species, in all areas where flying foxes are found, especially in human-modified habitats and rainforest remnants, is highlighted as this vegetation is of great importance to flying foxes. Other wildlife, such as birds and possums, may also benefit from the maintenance of this vegetation. Implications. Through management of urban resources there is the potential to prevent future conflict situations arising between humans and wildlife, such as can be seen when flying fox colonies are in close proximity to houses.

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Food Selection by Grey-headed Flying Foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) Occupying a Summer Colony Site near Gosford, New South Wales

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9910111 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 111 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

K Parry-Jones ◽

ML Augee

Keyword(s):

Food Selection ◽

Food Sources ◽

Flying Foxes ◽

Food Items ◽

South Wales ◽

The Family ◽

Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽

Marked Preference ◽

Colony Site

A colony site occupied by grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) from October to May on the central coast of N.S.W. was monitored over a 48 month period (1986-1990). Faecal and spat-out material was collected for microscopic determination of contents. Comparison of food items in the droppings with the array of possible food sources present in the vicinity of the colony at the same time showed a marked preference for certain foods, in particular blossoms of the family Myrtaceae and of the genus Banksia. Cultivated orchard fruits were not a preferred food and were only taken at times when preferred food items were scarce.

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Range expansion due to urbanization: Increased food resources attract Grey-headed Flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to Melbourne

Austral Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01590.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 190-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

NICHOLAS S. G. WILLIAMS ◽

MARK J. MCDONNELL ◽

GEMMA K. PHELAN ◽

LAUREN D. KEIM ◽

RODNEY VAN DER REE

Keyword(s):

Range Expansion ◽

Food Resources ◽

Flying Foxes ◽

Pteropus Poliocephalus

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Movements of grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) to and from colony site on the central coast of New South Wales

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9920331 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 331 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

KA PArry-Jones ◽

ML Augee

Keyword(s):

Food Supply ◽

New South ◽

New South Wales ◽

Central Coast ◽

Flying Foxes ◽

South Wales ◽

Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽

Colony Site ◽

Eucalyptus Maculata

Movements and numbers of grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) were recorded in and around a colony site on the central coast of New South Wales over a period of 53 months from 1986 to 1990. Daily departures from the site correlated primarily with the time of sunset. Annual occupation cycles showed wide flutuations with only one fiied period, March-May, when a mating colony of at least 20 000 bats was at the site. In most years a small nursery colony was present during October- December. Superimposed on this reproductive use of the site were highly variable patterns of occupation correlated with fluctuations in food supply. Local abundances of blossoms such as Angophorafloribunda and Eucalyptus maculata resulted in colony numbers of at least 80 000 bats.

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Dietary partitioning in newly sympatric urban flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus and Pteropus alecto)

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am19047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 361

Author(s):

Phoebe Griffith ◽

Kerryn Parry-Jones ◽

Andrew A. Cunningham

Keyword(s):

Resource Partitioning ◽

New South ◽

Microscopic Analysis ◽

Food Competition ◽

Flying Foxes ◽

South Wales ◽

Faecal Samples ◽

Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽

Competition For Food ◽

Flying Fox

The black flying-fox (Pteropus alecto) is extending its range southward and is now sympatric with the grey-headed flying-fox (P. poliocephalus) in New South Wales. Competition for food between the two species has been suggested to be a contributor to declines of the vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox. During winter 2016 the diet of both species was investigated over one night at four sites of sympatry, by microscopic analysis of faecal samples. Resource partitioning between the two species was found, with the black flying-fox either preferentially choosing to eat more fruit than the grey-headed flying-fox or being an inferior competitor for pollen and nectar. These results, though limited, do not support the hypothesis that the black flying-fox threatens the grey-headed flying-fox through food competition.

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Congregations of a threatened species: mitigating impacts from Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus camps on the Batemans Bay community

Australian Zoologist ◽

10.7882/az.2020.021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 124-138

Author(s):

Matthew Mo ◽

Mike Roache ◽

Deb Lenson ◽

Heidi Thomson ◽

Mitchell Jarvis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Buffer Zones ◽

Flying Foxes ◽

Vegetation Removal ◽

South Wales ◽

Pteropus Poliocephalus ◽

Building Community ◽

Commonwealth Government ◽

Flying Fox

Flying-fox camps in urban areas are a contentious wildlife management issue. Since 2012, Grey-headed Flying-foxes Pteropus poliocephalus have regularly occupied two camps in Batemans Bay, New South Wales (NSW). At one site, the Water Gardens, impacts on adjacent residents and businesses occur when animals roost near the reserve boundaries. During March–July 2016, a large influx of flying-foxes arrived, causing the camps to spread into neighbouring residential, recreational and industrial areas. Prior to this, impacts had been mitigated through vegetation clearing to create buffer zones and residential subsidies for mitigation equipment and services. The influx warranted additional measures such as a dispersal program and further vegetation removal, which were expedited by the Commonwealth Government granting a National Interest Exemption under section 158 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the NSW Government committing $2.5 million in funding towards the new measures. These measures moved flying-foxes from key conflict areas but also coincided with flying-fox numbers reducing as local blossom diminished. Ongoing community engagement played an important role in building community resilience to live with this threatened species, which is vital considering that Batemans Bay will likely continue to be an important area for flying-foxes.

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