Varied diet and opportunistic foraging in the Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni, an Endangered generalist. (2nd January 2018)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Varied diet and opportunistic foraging in the Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni, an Endangered generalist. (2nd January 2018)
- Main Title:
- Varied diet and opportunistic foraging in the Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni, an Endangered generalist
- Authors:
- Jones, Samuel EI
Bladon, Andrew J
Collar, Nigel J
Dadacha, Galgalo
Denge, Jarso
Donald, Paul F - Abstract:
- Abstract : The Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni is an endangered, co-operatively breeding southern Ethiopian endemic with a remarkably restricted range (c. 6 000 km 2 ). The species' range was recently found to be almost perfectly predicted by an envelope of cooler, drier and more seasonal climate than surrounding areas, but the proximate determinants of this range restriction remain unclear. We assessed whether specialisation in diet or foraging may restrict the range of the species by conducting foraging watches to determine prey composition, augmented by observations of opportunistic foraging techniques, and by comparing our results to previously published information on diet. Prey composition comprised a range of arthropods, such as insect larvae (62.7%), beetles (Coleoptera) (15.6%), and grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera) (11.8%). Prey was primarily obtained by pecks above ground (74.2%) but also frequently dug up (23.8%). Prey capture was most successful during pecks and we also found chicks were preferentially fed larger prey items over smaller ones by adults. We documented opportunistic behaviours such as nest-raiding and ox-pecking. Diet and foraging are varied and unspecialised, and therefore do not appear to explain the restricted range of the Ethiopian Bush-crow.
- Is Part Of:
- Ostrich. Volume 89:Number 1(2018)
- Journal:
- Ostrich
- Issue:
- Volume 89:Number 1(2018)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 89, Issue 1 (2018)
- Year:
- 2018
- Volume:
- 89
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2018-0089-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 41
- Page End:
- 46
- Publication Date:
- 2018-01-02
- Subjects:
- climate -- Corvidae -- endemic -- Ethiopia -- range restriction
Birds -- Periodicals
Birds -- South Africa -- Periodicals
598.05 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.ingentaselect.com/rpsv/cw/nisc/00306525/contp1.htm ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tost20/current ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.2989/00306525.2017.1373309 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0030-6525
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 6313.000000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 5736.xml