Marine carrion is an important food source for Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus on south Gambian beaches: a photographic report with a list of food items

Abstract

No Abstract.

More resourceful scavenging by opportunistic Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus in coastal Gambia with photographic proof of tongue use when foraging for live food and blood.

“…The construction of paved roads and a vast increase of vehicle traffic over the last 20 years produce regular foraging opportunities involving road-killed domestic animals. As previously reported, much of the carrion presenting on Gambian beaches that is exploited by high numbers of Hooded Vultures is a result of by-catch produced by commercial fishing net operations (Barlow et al 2021). A pan-African satellite tagging project which included four birds tagged in coastal Gambia and which transmitted for 24 to 54 months (David Barber pers.…”

“…600 km 2 of coastal Gambia (Jallow et al 2016). We have demonstrated the importance of ocean beaches and fish landing sites in south Gambia and in southern Senegal for scavenging by Hooded Vultures, while knowledge of coastal beach feeding is lacking elsewhere in the species' range (Barlow et al 2021). We have also updated the evidence relating to the consumption of African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis fruit by Hooded Vultures, another feeding habit which remains undocumented elsewhere (Barlow 2020).…”

“…During feeding site surveys and roadside counts of Hooded Vultures in Western Region from 2015 to 2020, we recorded foraging behaviour to increase our knowledge about the diverse diet of the Hooded Vulture in the restricted coastal area of Western Region, The Gambia (Barlow 2004, Barlow 2020, Barlow et al 2021. We made written notes and also entered data via the African Raptor DataBank smartphone app (now merged with the Global Raptor Impact Network smartphone app; https://globalraptors.org/grin-app).…”

“…The Critically Endangered Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus demonstrates versatile foraging behaviour in our study area of Western Region, The Gambia, where commensalism with humans is pronounced (Barlow et al 2021). It is a long-lived species with advanced learning abilities (Thompson et al 2020).…”

“…We have previously reported on a single Hooded Vulture probing into the burrow of a ghost crab Ocypode sp. near the tideline to extract fly larvae, and on several Hooded Vultures turning over decaying fishes near a fish landing site in the search for maggots (Barlow et al 2021).…”