RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Diet and grit characteristics in young Eurasian Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) inhabiting Iberian hedgerows
A1 Hernández Lázaro, Ángel
K1 Grit characteristics
K1 Hedgerows
K1 Nestling diet
K1 Pyrrhula pyrrhula
K1 2401.20 Ornitología
K1 2401.02 Comportamiento Animal
AB For the first time, the diet of young Iberian Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula iberiae)is studied, specifically in a hedgerow habitat in northwestern Spain, through stomach(younger nestlings up to 8 days of age, which died without researcher intervention) andfaecal sac (older nestlings) analysis, and secondarily direct observation (nestlings anddependent juveniles). Also, for the first time, grit use by bullfinch nestlings is describedin some detail. Bullfinches fed their young with a mixture of seeds and invertebrates,with greater quantitative importance of the former. The identity of the seeds variedconsiderably between spring and summer, and animal fraction gradually decreased fromMay to July for older nestlings, in both cases presumably because of the seasonal changesin food availability. Caterpillars and spiders were the most important arthropod prey inthe diet. Apparently, the young were not fed non-arthropod invertebrates. The relativeimportance of invertebrates, which are very rich in proteins, was greater for youngernestlings than for older ones. Difficult to digest hard-bodied prey, such as beetles, werenot present in the stomachs of the youngest nestlings. The frequency of occurrence andamount of grit in stomachs increased with nestling age, along with the need to grindfood. There were no remarkable differences in number of units, size, or number of colourtypes of gastroliths between months. The high floristic diversity in the study area, whichhas great overall conservation value, provides a wide range of resources for bullfinches,including plenty of food for their young.
PB BirdLife
SN 0030-5685
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/64930
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/64930
LA eng
NO Ornis Fennica, 2022, vol. 99, n. 4, p. 163–183
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 17-jul-2024