Tasting novel foods and selecting nutrient content in a highly successful ecological invader, the common myna

Abstract

Invasion success is dependent on the ability of a species to discover and exploit novel food resources. Within this context, individuals must be willing to taste novel foods. They must also be capable of evaluating the nutritional content of new foods, and selecting their relative intake in order to fulfil their nutritional needs. Whereas the former capacity is well studied, little is known about the latter capacity. First, using the common myna as a model avian invader species, we quantified the willingness of mynas to taste novel foods relative to familiar ones. Mynas readily tasted high protein (HP) novel foods and consumed them in higher quantities compared to a familiar food. Data showed that at three different levels – mixes, ingredients and macronutrients – intake could not be explained by a random model. In experiment 2, we confirmed that mynas were making their selection based on protein (P) content rather than a selection for novelty per se. When given the choice of three equally unfamiliar foods, mynas again ate disproportionately from the high protein relative to high lipid and high carbohydrate foods. Analysis revealed that mynas consumed amounts of protein that were closer to the ones in their natural diet. Finally, in experiment 3, we measured inter‐individual variation in innovation and exploration propensities, and examined associations with inter‐individual variation in consumption of specific macronutrients. This analysis revealed that individuals that selected HP pellets were more exploratory and individuals that selected HC pellets were quicker to solve the innovative foraging task. These findings indicate that not only the willingness to taste novel foods, but also the capacity to evaluate their nutritional content, might be central to the myna's substantial ecological success.

The potential utility of carotenoid‐based coloration as a biomonitor of environmental change

“…Moreover, protein‐deprived mynas selectively consumed novel foods containing higher proportions of protein (Peneaux et al . 2017). Urban habitats may therefore be deficient in protein‐rich foods, making this macronutrient a potentially limiting resource for ornamental production.…”

Multidimensional nutritional ecology and urban birds

“…The second study, performed on captured urban mynas in outdoor aviaries, revealed intra‐specific differences in foraging preferences, where those that selected high‐protein foods were more exploratory and more rapidly solved foraging tasks than conspecifics that selected high‐carbohydrate foods (Peneaux et al. ). These findings showed the ability of this species to evaluate the nutritional content of foods, suggesting that this mechanism might be important to their ecological success as invaders.…”

“…For example, expanding our understanding of the role of nutrition as a modulator of cognitive abilities in birds would be a powerful approach to better comprehending relevant successes or failures of urban birds (Peneaux et al. ). Our knowledge of the relationships between cognition and nutrition is mostly derived from studies of rodents, non‐human primates, and humans (Wahl et al.…”

The three‐dimensional macronutrient niche of an invasive generalist predator

“…It may also help us to determine what nutrients may be limiting for a particular species in natural habitats (Coogan et al ., ; Aryal et al ., ; Coogan et al ., ). Such analyses have, for example, been made on several mammal and bird species (Panthi et al ., ; Peneaux et al ., ; Coogan et al ., ).…”