Breeding Season Diet and Prey Selection of the New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) in a Plantation Forest

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Seaton ◽  
Noel Hyde ◽  
John D. Holland ◽  
Edward O. Minot ◽  
Brian P. Springett
1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 421 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Sagar ◽  
G. J. Glova

Benthic macroinvertebrates and three size classes of shortfinned eel (Anguilla australis, Anguillidae) were sampled in a lowland New Zealand stream over a 24-h period in summer to investigate diel feeding periodicity and prey selection. Fish of all three size classes fed mostly from post-dusk to dawn, with larger fish tending to consume a greater proportion of their prey during night-time. The number of prey taxa consumed increased with increasing size of fish. Prey selection indices indicated that: (1) the smallest eels (80–100 mm total length, TL) preferentially consumed ostracods (Crustacea) and larvae of Chironomidae (Diptera) and Psilochorema sp. (free-living Trichoptera); (2) medium-sized eels (101–199 mm TL) preferred larvae of Chironomidae, and Costachorema sp., Hydrobiosis sp. and Psilochorema sp.; and (3) large eels (200–300 mm TL) preferred ostracods, Psilochorema sp. and Hudsonema amabilis (cased Trichoptera). Eels of all size classes showed selection for soft-bodied or easily broken prey over those with hard cases which would have been more difficult to digest. There was considerable overlap in the diets of medium and large eels. Differences in the timing of feeding between the three size classes of eel are explained in terms of microhabitat use; differences in diet are explained in terms of prey size, and are also related to eel size.


Author(s):  
B.R. Watkin

AN Aberystwyth selection of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), known as S170, was sown with certified New Zealand white clover (Trifolium repens) and re' clover (T. pratense) and compared under sheep grazing with other grass/clover pastures at the Grasslands Division Regional Station at Lincoln (Watkin, 1975) .


2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Kakareko ◽  
Paweł Napiórkowski ◽  
Jacek Kozłowski

Diet composition and prey selection of vendaceLake Ostrowite is a mesotrophic lake in Northern Poland 280.7 ha in area and 43 m deep at its deepest point. To study vendace (


Author(s):  
Svein Dale

AbstractIn boreal forests, food supplies typically have cyclic variations, and many species here fluctuate in numbers from year to year. One group of species showing large variations in population size is birds specialized on seeds from masting trees. Here, I analyze spatial patterns of a mass occurrence and habitat selection of the Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) during the breeding season in southeastern Norway in 2020 after a year with large seed crops from Norway Spruce (Picea abies) and Downy Birch (Betula pubescens). I found that Common Redpoll numbers increased with elevation and towards the northwest. Numbers were also strongly and positively correlated with snow depth in early April when snow was present mainly above 400 m elevation. Sites with snow cover in early April (30% of all sites) held 96.4% of all individuals recorded. Field observations indicated that Common Redpolls foraged extensively for spruce seeds on the snow until the end of May when young were independent. I suggest that the mass occurrence was due to a unique combination of exceptionally large seed crops of two tree species coinciding in the same year. The masting produced large amounts of food both for overwintering (birch seeds) and for breeding (spruce seeds), and during the breeding season snow cover facilitated access to food resources. Dependency of Common Redpolls on snow cover suggests that climate change may negatively impact some seed-eaters in boreal regions. On the other hand, higher temperatures may induce more frequent masting which may be beneficial for seed-eaters. Thus, climate change is likely to lead to complex ecosystem changes in areas where snow cover may disappear.


Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruobing Zheng ◽  
Lacy Smith ◽  
Diann Prosser ◽  
John Takekawa ◽  
Scott Newman ◽  
...  

The Bar-headed Goose is the only true goose species or Anserinae to migrate solely within the Central Asian Flyway, and thus, it is an ideal species for observing the effects of both land use and climate change throughout the flyway. In this paper, we investigate the home range, movement pattern, and habitat selection of Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) during the breeding season at Qinghai Lake, which is one of their largest breeding areas and a major migration staging area in the flyway. We identified several areas used by the geese during the breeding season along the shoreline of Qinghai Lake and found that most geese had more than one core use area and daily movements that provided insight into their breeding activity. We also observed the intensive use of specific wetlands and habitats near Qinghai Lake. These data provide interesting insights into the movement ecology of this important species and also provide critical information for managers seeking to understand and respond to conservation concerns threatening Bar-headed Geese, such as landscape and habitat changes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 352
Author(s):  
Aymee S.R. Lewis ◽  
Toni M. Withers ◽  
Helen F. Nahrung ◽  
Rebecca L. McDougal ◽  
Chris A.M. Reid ◽  
...  

Paropsisterna variicollis, the eucalyptus variegated beetle, was first detected in New Zealand in 2016. It threatens a growing eucalyptus forestry sector through larvae and adults causing significant defoliation to important plantation species. This work aimed to clarify the identification and origin of the New Zealand incursion to inform selection of suitable biological control agent(s). Australian and New Zealand specimens from the Paropsisterna obovata-variicollis-cloelia species complex were analysed by PCR and sequencing of two genetic loci, cytochrome c subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b). Molecular analysis of both genetic regions showed three major clusters of diversity. Cluster 1, proposed as Paropsisterna variicollis, had maximum 1.3% genetic variation and was collected from New Zealand, Western Australia and from geographically diverse locations in eastern Australia. Taxonomic results identified distinctive phenotypes of other closely related beetle species, assisting in proposing Cluster 2 as Paropsisterna near decolorata and Cluster 3 as Paropsisterna agricola. Molecular results were compared to morphological structures on adult beetles.


Biology Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Natalí Delorme and Leonardo Zamora are co-first authors on ‘ A new method to localise and quantify oxidative stress in live juvenile mussels’, published in BiO. They are both researchers in the laboratory of Serean Adams at the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand. Natalí's research interests centre around ecophysiology of marine invertebrates, particularly on the organisms' stress response. Leonardo is investigating the biology of commercially, ecologically and culturally relevant marine invertebrates throughout their life cycle.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
KHWANRUTAI CHARASPET ◽  
Ronglarp - Sukmasuang ◽  
NORASET KHOEWSREE ◽  
MANANYA PLA-ARD ◽  
YUWALUK CHANACHAI

Abstract. Charaspet K, Sukmasuang R, Khoewsree N, Pla-ard M, Chanachai Y. 2020. Prey species and prey selection of dholes at three different sites in Thailand. Biodiversitas 21: 5248-5262. The study of prey species and prey selection of Dholes at 3 different sites was conducted at Khao Yai National Park, Salak Pra, and Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries from 2013 to 2020. Information on Dhole prey at the sites was collected from the residues of dhole scats, from which the selection index, the relative biomass of the prey, and the relative amounts of the consumed prey were calculated. The data were collected simultaneously with the use of camera traps at each site. The study revealed that there were 13 species of Dhole prey with body weight over 5 kg. The result indicated that there were 7 species of even-toed ungulates. The relative biomass of even-toed ungulates ranged between 76.78 - 90.50% of the total biomass of all the Dholes’ consumed prey for all study sites. The dietary diversity index unveiled a similar index in all areas, which proved the adequacy of the analyzed scats. However, the Niche breadth index, which indicates the relevance of prey selection and prey species to the appearances of the prey at each site, was found to be high at Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Khao Yai National Park, while the index was found to be low at Salak Pra Wildlife Sanctuary. The results revealed that Dholes consumed viverrid species and Malayan porcupine more often at the site where there were large carnivores. The recommendation from this study was the conservation and restoration of the ungulate populations, the main prey, as it greatly affects the conservation of the Dhole populations in Thailand.  Grassland and salt lick sites, water sources improvements are also important to promote prey population. The conservation of wildlife prey by releasing them to nature, as currently conducted, has an effect on the increase of Dholes’ prey species.


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