We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
The winter feeding ecology of Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta on intertidal areas. II. Diet and feeding mechanisms.
- Authors
MOREIRA, FRANCISCO
- Abstract
The diet and feeding methods of Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta using the most common feeding strategy (Normal Feeding Strategy) on emerged intertidal areas in the Tagus estuary, Portugal, were studied during two winters. Avocets using the Normal Feeding Strategy fed non-selectively in the top 20 mm of sediment, ingesting prey bigger than a minimum threshold dimension of around 1.5 mm. Some mud was also ingested whilst feeding. Prey were captured by the mechanical action of the bill, and the estimated number of items captured per sweep was quite high (mean = 10.9 worms). Most of the biomass ingested by Avocets consisted of oligochaetes, spionid worms, Capitella capitata and small ragworms Nereis diversicolor. The estimated intake rate of Avocets suggested that the energy ingested during daylight hours did not represent a significant percentage of the daily requirements. Thus, feeding on emerged intertidal areas is probably a secondary component of their daily gross food intake, unless night feeding yields higher intake rates due to increased prey availability.
- Publication
Ibis, 1995, Vol 137, Issue 1, p99
- ISSN
0019-1019
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1474-919X.1995.tb03225.x