scholarly journals Diet of the Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) in Cyprus during autumn migration

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-125
Author(s):  
Haralambos Alivizatos ◽  
Nikolaos Kassinis
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
True Bugs ◽  
Falco Vespertinus ◽  
Prey Items

Abstract The diet of the Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) was studied at Akrotiri Peninsula, Cyprus, in October 2008, during the autumn migration. Based on 180 pellets collected that represented 3,066 prey items, the diet consisted exclusively of invertebrates, nearly all preys were insects. Winged ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) formed 94% of the diet by number of specimens and 76% of biomass. Beetles (Coleoptera), mainly Carabidae and Scarabaeidae, made up 5% of the prey numbers but 22.5% of biomass. The other preys were made up by small numbers of earwigs (Dermaptera), true bugs (Hemiptera) and snails (Gastropoda).

Effects of flood suppression on natricine snake diet and prey overlap

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (7) ◽  
pp. 809-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Hampton ◽  
Neil B. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Index ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Diet Overlap ◽  
The Other ◽  
East Texas ◽  
Nerodia Fasciata ◽  
Nerodia Erythrogaster ◽  
Prey Overlap ◽  
Prey Items

Organisms may become adapted to disturbances when these disturbances occur periodically and at intermediate intensity. To investigate the effects of flood suppression, this study compared diet and competition of semi-aquatic snakes during flood (2000–2001) and no flood (2003–2005) years. Three natricine species, Nerodia erythrogaster (Forster in Bossu, 1771), Nerodia fasciata (L., 1766), and Thamnophis proximus (Say in James, 1823), were palpated for prey items in an east Texas floodplain under both conditions. Prey items were classified as crayfish, salamanders, anurans, or fish. Simpson’s diversity index of prey, frequency of consumed prey type, and prey importance values were compared between flood and no flood years. Pianka’s index of niche overlap was used to compare changes in diet overlap between species in the years with floods and those without. In the absence of floods, the number of prey types consumed by N. erythrogaster and T. proximus decreased. The frequency of prey types consumed during flood years was significantly different from the period of flood suppression for all three species. The order of prey importance also changed in the absence of floods for all three snake species. Without floods, diet overlap decreased between N. erythrogaster and the other two species; however, overlap between N. fasciata and T. proximus doubled.

scholarly journals Review and summary of red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) observations during migration periods in Slovakia

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67
Author(s):  
Michal Noga ◽  
Luboš Vadel ◽  
Roman Slobodník
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Seasonal Dynamics ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Falco Vespertinus

Abstract The red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) migrates throughout the territory of Slovakia regularly, though it rarely breeds here. In the present paper we have reviewed and summarised its observations between the years 1905–2016, focusing on the spring and autumn migration periods and its occurrence outside the breeding season. In total, we have gathered the data on 799 observations of 3,717 individuals. Considering the unsystematic data collection, the data should be taken with caution and may rather serve for information purposes only. However, they provide useful basic items of information regarding the species’ seasonal dynamics in Slovakia and its phenology, and document the evident increase in the number of individuals observed since 2014.

Larvae of pyrrhocorid true bugs are not to spiders’ taste: putative Müllerian mimicry

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Raška ◽  
Jan Krajíček ◽  
Zuzana Bosáková ◽  
Pavel Štys ◽  
Alice Exnerová
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Pyrrhocoris Apterus ◽  
True Bugs ◽  
Jumping Spiders ◽  
Müllerian Mimicry ◽  
Larval Secretion ◽  
Mullerian Mimicry ◽  
Main Component ◽  
And Function ◽  
Defensive Chemical

Abstract Adults and larvae of a true bug, Scantius aegyptius (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae), closely resemble sympatric firebugs, Pyrrhocoris apterus, and probably form a mimetic relationship with the latter species. Scantius aegyptius adults, although producing a secretion atypical of true bugs, are to some extent chemically protected against predators. In this study, we analysed the composition and function of the larval secretion in S. aegyptius, and investigated the mimetic relationship between larvae of S. aegyptius and P. apterus. The main component of the larval secretion in S. aegyptius is 2-heptanol, a chemical not known to function in anti-predatory defence, followed by (E)-2-octenal, a common defensive chemical of true bugs. When larvae of both species were presented to jumping spiders (Evarcha arcuata), S. aegyptius was slightly less well protected than P. apterus, but the spiders behaved towards the two species in a similar way: they quickly learned to avoid the bugs, but usually attacked them again on the second day. The spiders also generalized their learned avoidance from one true bug species to the other (with only slight asymmetry favouring S. aegyptius), suggesting that the bugs’ mimetic relationship is most probably Müllerian, being advantageous to both species.

Autumn migration of robins (Erithacus rubecula) in Hungary

Biologia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsuzsa Gyimóthy ◽  
József Gyurácz ◽  
László Bank ◽  
Péter Bánhidi ◽  
Roland Farkas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Preference ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Erithacus Rubecula ◽  
Migration Dynamics ◽  
Reed Bed ◽  
Study Sites

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to describe the autumn migration dynamics of juvenile (n = 3075) and adult (n = 596) robin Erithacus rubecula in Hungary. Capturing and ringing of birds took place at five bird ringing stations of Actio Hungarica between 13 August and 27 October, 2004. The number of captured juvenile and adult individuals rated to one net was the lowest in the reeds of Izsák and the highest in the woody areas of Szalonna, where adults were present at a higher proportion. The migration dynamics of the robin showed that the end of September and the beginning of October was the peak time for passing through Hungary. Based on the estimated time of the 10% of daily capture, it can be stated that juvenile birds started their migration as early as the end of August or at the beginning of September while the migration of the adults started later. The migration started earliest in Szalonna and latest in Izsák. The comparison of daily catch dynamics (based on the estimated time of 10% and 50% of daily captures) of juveniles and adults between study sites showed that similarity of daily capture was higher in the case of juveniles. The five study sites had different qualities from the point of view of the robins’ habitat preference. Our results showed that the reed-bed of Izsák had only peripheral importance while the other forest and bushy study areas played a key role in resting and feeding during the migration of the robin.

scholarly journals Samvariation mellan systematiska räkningar och spontan rapportering av rastande vadare i Getteröns naturreservat

Ornis Svecica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 34-43
Author(s):  
Reino Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Spontaneous Reporting ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
The Other ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Calidris Alpina ◽  
Other Hand

This paper is an attempt to describe how strong the covariation is between systematic counts and spontaneous reporting of staging waders at the Getterön Nature Reserve in southwestern Sweden. The material is based on systematic and spontaneous observations of twelve species of waders, made on the same days during the autumn migration in July–October 2010–2019. There is a significant positive correlation between the two methods for nine of twelve species. However, there is a large variation in the strength of the correlations, with the strongest correlation seen for Dunlin Calidris alpina. The Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, and Little Stint Calidris minuta, on the other hand, show no significant correlations. This shows the difficulties in evaluating quantitative data of the wader occurrence at stopover areas such as Getterön. The variation in correlation between count methods between different species entails an uncertainty, which is probably due to low reliability in the spontaneous reporting. Thus, in the case of studies of staging waders based solely on spontaneous data, caution should be exercised.

scholarly journals Great tits feed their nestlings with more but smaller prey items and fewer caterpillars in cities than in forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Csenge Sinkovics ◽  
Gábor Seress ◽  
Ivett Pipoly ◽  
Ernő Vincze ◽  
András Liker
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Food Limitation ◽  
Great Tit ◽  
The Other ◽  
Urban Birds ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Urban Parents ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractRapidly increasing urbanisation is one of the most significant anthropogenic environmental changes which can affect demographic traits of animal populations, for example resulting in reduced reproductive success. The food limitation hypothesis suggests that the shortage of high-quality nestling food in cities is a major factor responsible for the reduced reproductive performance in insectivorous birds. To study this explanation, we collected data on the parental provisioning behaviour of urban and forest great tits (Parus major) in three years that varied both in caterpillar availability (the main food of great tit nestlings) and in reproductive success of the birds. In all years, urban parents provisioned caterpillars in a smaller proportion to their nestlings, but the total amount of food per nestling (estimated by the volumes of all prey items) did not differ between habitats. In the two years with much lower reproductive success in urban than forest habitats, urban parents had higher provisioning rates, but provided more non-arthropod food and brought smaller prey items than forest parents. In the year with reduced habitat difference in reproductive success, urban parents were able to compensate for the scarcity of caterpillars by provisioning other arthropods rather than non-arthropod food, and by delivering larger preys than in the other years. Specifically, in this latter year, caterpillars provisioned by urban pairs were cc. twice as large as in the other two years, and were similar in size to caterpillars provisioned in the forest broods. These results show that although urban great tit parents can provide the same quantity of food per nestling as forest parents by reducing their brood size and increasing the per capita feeding rates for nestlings, they cannot compensate fully for the scarcity of high-quality preys (caterpillars) in poor years. In some years, however, favourable conditions for urban caterpillar development can greatly reduce food limitation in cities, allowing urban birds to achieve higher reproductive success. We suggest that urban green areas designed and managed in a way to facilitate conditions for phytophagous arthropods could improve habitat quality for urban birds.

Stromatoporoids from the Famennian (Devonian) Wabamun Formation, Normandville oilfield, north–central Alberta, Canada

1988 ◽  
Vol 62 (03) ◽  
pp. 411-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin W. Stearn
Keyword(s):  
Patch Reef ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
North Central ◽  
Biotic Crisis

Stromatoporoids are the principal framebuilding organisms in the patch reef that is part of the reservoir of the Normandville field. The reef is 10 m thick and 1.5 km2in area and demonstrates that stromatoporoids retained their ability to build reefal edifices into Famennian time despite the biotic crisis at the close of Frasnian time. The fauna is dominated by labechiids but includes three non-labechiid species. The most abundant species isStylostroma sinense(Dong) butLabechia palliseriStearn is also common. Both these species are highly variable and are described in terms of multiple phases that occur in a single skeleton. The other species described areClathrostromacf.C. jukkenseYavorsky,Gerronostromasp. (a columnar species), andStromatoporasp. The fauna belongs in Famennian/Strunian assemblage 2 as defined by Stearn et al. (1988).

D. The Line Spectrum of Pulsating Variable Stars

1967 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 207-244
Author(s):  
R. P. Kraft
Keyword(s):  
Variable Stars ◽  
The Other ◽  
Line Spectrum ◽  
Afternoon Session ◽  
Empirical Information ◽  
Pulsating Variable Stars ◽  
Almost Continuous ◽  
Informal Approach

(Ed. note:Encouraged by the success of the more informal approach in Christy's presentation, we tried an even more extreme experiment in this session, I-D. In essence, Kraft held the floor continuously all morning, and for the hour and a half afternoon session, serving as a combined Summary-Introductory speaker and a marathon-moderator of a running discussion on the line spectrum of cepheids. There was almost continuous interruption of his presentation; and most points raised from the floor were followed through in detail, no matter how digressive to the main presentation. This approach turned out to be much too extreme. It is wearing on the speaker, and the other members of the symposium feel more like an audience and less like participants in a dissective discussion. Because Kraft presented a compendious collection of empirical information, and, based on it, an exceedingly novel series of suggestions on the cepheid problem, these defects were probably aggravated by the first and alleviated by the second. I am much indebted to Kraft for working with me on a preliminary editing, to try to delete the side-excursions and to retain coherence about the main points. As usual, however, all responsibility for defects in final editing is wholly my own.)

C. The Continuous Spectrum of Pulsating Variable Stars

1967 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 177-206
Author(s):  
J. B. Oke ◽  
C. A. Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Spectrum ◽  
Variable Stars ◽  
Velocity Fields ◽  
The Other ◽  
Line Spectrum ◽  
Direct Information ◽  
Thermodynamic Structure ◽  
Diagnostic Interpretation ◽  
Pulsating Variable Stars ◽  
The Continuum

Pecker:The topic to be considered today is the continuous spectrum of certain stars, whose variability we attribute to a pulsation of some part of their structure. Obviously, this continuous spectrum provides a test of the pulsation theory to the extent that the continuum is completely and accurately observed and that we can analyse it to infer the structure of the star producing it. The continuum is one of the two possible spectral observations; the other is the line spectrum. It is obvious that from studies of the continuum alone, we obtain no direct information on the velocity fields in the star. We obtain information only on the thermodynamic structure of the photospheric layers of these stars–the photospheric layers being defined as those from which the observed continuum directly arises. So the problems arising in a study of the continuum are of two general kinds: completeness of observation, and adequacy of diagnostic interpretation. I will make a few comments on these, then turn the meeting over to Oke and Whitney.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document