Prey versus substrate as determinants of habitat choice in a feeding shorebird |
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Authors: | Paul G. Finn Carla P. Catterall Peter V. Driscoll |
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Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia;2. Bluewater Process Engineering, PO Box 1805, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia |
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Abstract: | Many shorebirds on their non-breeding grounds feed on macrobenthic fauna which become available at low tide in coastal intertidal flats. The Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis in Moreton Bay Australia, varies greatly in density among different tidal flats. This study asks: how important is the abundance of intertidal prey as a predictor of this variation? We quantified feeding curlews’ diet across 12 sites (different tidal flats, each re-visited at least eight times), through 970 focal observations. We also estimated the abundance of total macrobenthic fauna, potential prey taxa and crustacean prey on each tidal flat; measured as the number of individuals and a relative biomass index per unit substrate surface area obtained from substrate core samples. We estimated curlew density at each site using low-tide surveys from every site visit. |
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Keywords: | habitat selection foraging behaviour Charadrii wintering grounds substrate penetrability macrobenthos Australia, Moreton Bay |
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