Impacts of Predation by the Invasive Black Rat Rattus rattus on the Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii in the Bonin Islands, Japan

Kawakami, Kazuto; Horikoshi, Kazuo; Suzuki, Hajime; Sasaki, Tetsuro

doi:10.1007/978-4-431-53859-2_8

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This study is the first report that verifies common, non-occasional predation of native unionid mussels by coypus in an invaded site. Diet shifting, where herbivores begin to prey on animals in invaded sites, has also been observed in other rodent species such as the black rat (Rattus rattus) (Kawakami et al, 2010;Shiels et al, 2014). This rat preyed on seabirds, insects, frogs, snakes, and plants in invaded islands (Yabe et al, 2009;Shiels et al, 2014).…”

Section: Coypu Predation On Musselsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Common coypu predation on unionid mussels and terrestrial plants in an invaded Japanese river

Nagayama

Kume

Oota³

et al. 2020

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The coypu (Myocastor coypus) is a semi-aquatic herbivorous rodent that has been suspected to prey on freshwater unionid mussels in Japan. Fecal DNA metabarcoding that targeted bivalves and terrestrial plants was performed to examine the diet of exotic coypu in the Kiso River, central Japan. Thirty-two fecal samples from four floodplain waterbodies were collected seasonally. In one of the waterbodies, live and dead mussels were investigated to examine the possible effects of coypu predation on mussel population structures. Common coypu predation on unionid mussels was confirmed in two waterbodies. Midden surveys showed that medium- to large-sized mussels tended to be consumed by coypu; possibly resulting in population structures with few large-sized individuals. Seasonal diet selection of terrestrial plants was also detected: two perennial plants were consumed throughout the year, whereas some perennial plants were consumed seasonally. The number of terrestrial plant species/taxa as primary food was higher in summer than in winter, which was attributed to the high consumption of annual plants in the summer. Future studies need to examine the exhaustive diet of coypu including other animals and plants, as well as its effects on freshwater ecosystems in invaded regions.

show abstract

Section: Coypu Predation On Musselsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Common coypu predation on unionid mussels and terrestrial plants in an invaded Japanese river

Nagayama

Kume

Oota³

et al. 2020

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Dots have been jittered for a better visualization. The line within boxes indicates the median, the bottom and top of the box represent the first and third quartiles, and the whiskers extend 1.5 times the interquartile range Madeira, breeding success ranges between 60 and 75% (Nunes and Vicente 1998), but in rat-invaded colonies on the Bonin Islands, Japan, marked die-off of breeding adults by predation can occur (Kawakami et al 2010). As a whole, breeding success in Tenerife is low (54.1% of laid eggs produced a fledgling), but we observed strong spatiotemporal variation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduced predators and nest competitors shape distribution and breeding performance of seabirds: feral pigeons as a new threat

Rodríguez

Sivério³

et al. 2022

Biol Invasions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Petrels are particularly sensitive to predation by introduced species. Many populations have reduced their breeding ranges, currently mainly occupying predator-free sites. Breeding range reduction leads to interspecific competition for nesting sites, which can be detrimental to petrels. Here, we evaluate how the presence of introduced mammals (cats Felis catus and rats Rattus spp.) and potential competitors for nest sites (Cory’s shearwaters Calonectris borealis and feral rock pigeons Columba livia) shape the distribution, breeding density, and breeding performance of Bulwer’s petrel Bulweria bulwerii on Tenerife, the largest and most densely human populated of the Canary Islands. We estimated nest density, assessed the role of nest location and physical characteristics of nests on breeding success, and determined causes of breeding failure by introduced predators and competitors. Nest density was higher in predator-free colonies on marine rocks. Cat presence was the best predictor of nest density, but it was not correlated with either presence or abundance of competitors. Breeding success varied between years and colonies but was not related to nest characteristics. Pigeon competition for nests was the most frequent cause of breeding failure (7.3%), followed by rat predation (6.3%). We also compared petrel and pigeon nest cavities and found considerable overlap in the physical size of nest sites. Our study provides insights into an overlooked impact of the invasive rock pigeon: nest competition with small seabirds. We encourage more research on the effects of pigeons on nest density, as well as disease and pathogen transmission, and vegetation changes within seabird colonies.

show abstract

“…So, these predators have shaped the current breeding distribution of Bulwer's petrel, relegating them to isolated predator-free marine rocks with dense colonies (Hernández et al 1990). In predator-free sites, such as the Desertas Islands, Madeira, breeding success ranges between 60-75% (Nunes and Vicente 1998), but in invaded colonies on the Bonin Islands, Japan, massive die-off of breeding adults by predation could occur (Kawakami et al 2010). As a whole, breeding success in Tenerife is low (54.1% of laid eggs produced a edgling), but a strong spatiotemporal variation was observed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feral pigeons as a nest competitor for a small seabird

Rodríguez¹,

Rodríguez²,

Sivério³

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Due to their life-history traits, the petrels are particularly sensitive to predation by introduced species. Therefore, many populations have constricted their original breeding distribution range, currently only occupying predator-free sites. In this scenario, interspecific competition for nesting sites can be detrimental for the petrel’ conservation. Here, we evaluate how the presence of introduced mammals (cats Felis catus and rats Rattus spp.) and potential competitors for nest sites (Cory’s shearwaters Calonectris borealis and feral rock pigeons Columba livia) shape the distribution, breeding density, and breeding performance of the Bulwer’s petrel Bulweria bulwerii on Tenerife, the largest and most densely populated of the Canary Islands. We estimated nest density, assessed the role of nest location and nest characteristics on breeding success, and determined causes of breeding failure by exotic predators and competitors. Nest density was higher in predator-free colonies on marine rocks. Cat presence was the best predictor for nest density, while presence or abundance of competitors had no correlation to nest density. Breeding success varied between years and colonies, but was not related to nest characteristics. Of the unequivocally determined causes of breeding failure, pigeon competition for nests was the most frequent (7.3%), followed by rat predation (6.3%). We also compared petrel and pigeon nest cavities and found a considerable overlap in nesting niche. Our study provides insight on an overlooked impact of the invasive rock pigeon: nest competition with small seabirds. We encourage more research on the effects of pigeons on nest density, disease and pathogen transmission, and vegetation changes within petrel colonies.

show abstract

Impacts of Predation by the Invasive Black Rat Rattus rattus on the Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii in the Bonin Islands, Japan

Cited by 11 publications

References 7 publications

Common coypu predation on unionid mussels and terrestrial plants in an invaded Japanese river

Common coypu predation on unionid mussels and terrestrial plants in an invaded Japanese river

Introduced predators and nest competitors shape distribution and breeding performance of seabirds: feral pigeons as a new threat

Feral pigeons as a nest competitor for a small seabird

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About