Experimental functional response and inter-individual variation in foraging rate of teal (Anas crecca).

Behav Processes

Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, CNERA Avifaune Migratrice, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, F-13200 Arles, France.

Published: May 2007

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study explored the functional response of teal (Anas crecca) in relation to their food intake rates while foraging on rice seeds, highlighting a gap in research on waterfowl ecology.
  • At high densities of food, a change in foraging behavior was observed, shifting from filter-feeding to a scooping method, leading to a different intake rate slope.
  • The findings indicate that teal's food intake is linearly related to seed availability, which is important for managing and conserving wetland environments.

Article Abstract

The functional response, i.e. the change in per capita food intake rate per time unit with changed food availability, is a widely used tool for understanding the ecology and behaviour of animals. However, waterfowl remain poorly explored in this context. In an aviary experiment we derived a functional response curve for teal (Anas crecca) foraging on rice (Oryza sativa) seeds. We found a linear relationship between intake rate and seed density, as expected for a filter-feeder. At high seed densities we found a threshold, above which intake rate still increased linearly but with a lower slope, possibly reflecting a switch from filter-feeding to a scooping foraging mode. The present study shows that food intake rate in teal is linearly related to food availability within the range of naturally occurring seed densities, a finding with major implications for management and conservation of wetland habitats.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2007.01.001DOI Listing

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