Faecal Analysis as a Method of Nestling Diet Determination in Insectivorous Birds: A Case Study in Blue Tits<i>Cyanistes caeruleus</i>and Great Tits<i>Parus major</i>

Michalski, Marek; Nadolski, Jerzy; Marciniak, Bronisław; Loga, Barbara; Bańbura, Jerzy

doi:10.3161/000164511x625937

Cited by 20 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The abundance of caterpillars is almost always relatively low in the parkland site and, therefore, Blue Tits have to use a greater proportion of alternative prey sources, which could obscure a potential relation between physiological indices and year-to-year differences in the amount of caterpillar frassfall. Michalski et al (2011) who analysed droppings of tits in both our study areas, showed that a proportion of non-caterpillar prey delivered to nestlings is higher in the parkland area than in the forest. This may suggest that caterpillar abundance may be a more important determinant factor for Blue Tit breeding parameters and physiological condition in the forest than in the parkland area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Spatial variation in haemoglobin concentration of nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): a long-term perspective

et al. 2016

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An understanding of the influences of anthropogenic disturbance and variation in habitat quality on organism condition and breeding success may improve future management and conservation decisions. Some authors consider haemoglobin concentration to be a simple biochemical indicator of bird condition. The main goal of this paper is to examine if the level of haemoglobin displays any consistent pattern of variation across habitats differing in quality. We present results concerning longterm variation in haemoglobin concentration in the blood of about 14-day-old nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in central Poland in an 11-year period (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013), in two landscapes (an urban parkland and a deciduous forest). The most important findings of the study are: (1) the concentration of haemoglobin of the nestlings from the same brood tended to be consistently similar, with most variation occurring between broods, (2) mean levels of haemoglobin varied between years, and were correlated with caterpillar abundance peaks in the forest study site, (3) mean haemoglobin concentration was significantly higher in the forest area than in the parkland area, (4) haemoglobin levels were positively correlated with breeding and fledging success. We confirmed that haemoglobin concentration displays a spatio-temporal pattern and that the level of haemoglobin is a reliable condition and habitat quality indicator in nestling Blue Tits in the study populations. Although, strictly speaking, the analysed differences are between two particular sites, we think that they reflect differences between urban and non-urban habitats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Spatial variation in haemoglobin concentration of nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): a long-term perspective

et al. 2016

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“…Although both species are commonly described as ecologically similar to each other, the blue tit is more than the great tit specialized in the preference for deciduous breeding habitats and in feeding nestlings with tree canopy caterpillars [52], [53], [73], [74]. In our study system, we previously found that the food of nestling great tits contained a lower percentage of caterpillars than in the case of blue tits and that the proportion of caterpillars in the diet was lower in the parkland than in the forest in great tits, whereas there was no difference in blue tits [82]. This suggests that in generally worse trophic conditions of the parkland site great tits preyed more frequently on alternative prey, while blue tits kept foraging on caterpillars, probably at some cost that might generate additional stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Spatial and Temporal Variation in Heterophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratios of Nestling Passerine Birds: Comparison of Blue Tits and Great Tits

et al. 2013

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Environmental factors affecting trophic conditions act as stressors on nestling altricial birds. Access of parental birds to a sufficient supply of food in a limited period of the nestling stage differ in time and space, depending on nesting habitat, prey density and weather conditions. Heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (H/L) is considered as a reliable indicator of prolonged stress reaction in birds. In this study we examine if variation in H/L shows consistent spatio-temporal patterns in nestlings of two parids, blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus and great tit Parus major. We found that blue tit nestlings had on average higher H/L than great tit nestlings, which corresponds with the ecological sensitivity of these species. In both species H/L was higher in a poor parkland habitat than in a high quality forest habitat. In nestling blue tits, higher H/L values occurred in years characterized by more extreme weather conditions and worse caterpillar availability. Such consistent patterns of variation in the H/L ratio of nestling blue tits and great tits suggest that, when age-dependent effects are controlled, the ratio can be used as an indicator of physiological stress that is generated by food-related stressors differing in space and time. In particular, elevated H/L ratios are indicative of human-induced changes in the structure of breeding habitats.

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“…Most frequently only qualitative assessment of the diet of predators has been determined, either through direct observation of predation events or identification of prey remnants in predator's alimentary tract or faeces (Harwood and Obrycki 2005;Michalski et al 2011). An attempt to quantify the effect of invertebrate predators on H. axyridis and the two-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata (L.), was made in northern Italy by Burgio et al (2008).…”

Section: Predators Of Harmonia Axyridismentioning

confidence: 99%

Predators and parasitoids of the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, in its native range and invaded areas

et al. 2017

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Faecal Analysis as a Method of Nestling Diet Determination in Insectivorous Birds: A Case Study in Blue TitsCyanistes caeruleusand Great TitsParus major

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

Spatial variation in haemoglobin concentration of nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): a long-term perspective

Spatial variation in haemoglobin concentration of nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): a long-term perspective

Spatial and Temporal Variation in Heterophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratios of Nestling Passerine Birds: Comparison of Blue Tits and Great Tits

Predators and parasitoids of the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, in its native range and invaded areas

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