Breeding ecology of the African Spoonbill Platalea alba in the Free State,South Africa |
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Authors: | Grzegorz Kopij |
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Institution: | Department of Zoology and Entomology , University of the Orange Free State , PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa |
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Abstract: | Kopij, G. 1997. Breeding ecology of the African Spoonbill Platalea alba in the Free State, South Africa. Ostrich 68 (2–4): 77–79. The breeding ecology of the African Spoonbill is surprisingly little known. In the Free State, the number of nesting African Spoonbills appears to have declined; 120 nests in 11 colonies were located in 1972–1973, compared to 32 nests in four colonies in 1993–1996 (though this later survey may have missed a few small colonies). In 1976–1977, a colony with 15 active spoonbill nests was monitored for an entire breeding season. Mean clutch size was 2.6 (n = 15); 56% of eggs hatched; 91% of hatched eggs resulted in fledglings; and chicks fledged from 53% of nests. The main food of spoonbill chicks was frogs, mainly Rana angolensis and Xenopus laevis, and aquatic invertebrates. |
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