Diet of the black-headed heron Ardea melanocephala during the breeding season in South African grasslands |
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Authors: | Grzegorz Kopij |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Zoology & Ecology, Agricultural University of Wroclaw, ul. Kozuchowska 5b, PL-51631 Wroclaw, Poland |
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Abstract: | The diet of the black-headed heron was studied using analysis of pellets and prey remnants (225 prey items identified) collected from four sites in South African Highveld Grassland, transformed into cultivated fields. Small vertebrates comprised the staple food of chicks. Rodents were the most important vertebrate prey. Otomys irroratus comprised ca. 50% of the total biomass of vertebrate prey consumed. The diet was supplemented by small lizards, snakes, frogs and fishes. Grasshoppers, beetles, crabs and other arthropods were occasionally preyed upon. |
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Keywords: | Ardea melanocephala black-headed heron diet grasslands |
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