Central-place foraging in an urban landscape : body mass of common voles (Microtus arvalis Pall.) caught by breeding Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus L.) is positively correlated with availability of hunting sites

• Autorzy: Kubacka J. , Żmihorski M. , Mirski P. , Rejt Ł.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

In the reproduction period a male Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a centralplace forager, i.e. it transports food from hunting grounds to a central location - the nest. A centralplace forager is predicted to take larger or more prey when distance to a foraging site is longer. We studied kestrels breeding in a large Central European city (population 1.7 million), whose main prey are common voles (Microtus arvalis). Kestrel nests are located in the centre and the outskirts, although common voles are scarce in the former. The aim of our study was to analyse the body mass of common voles found in pellets under kestrel nests and relate it to the availability of common vole habitats within 1 km from the nests, controlled for vole frequency in the pellets. We assumed that the greater availability of common vole habitats, the shorter the distance to a foraging site. We found that the body mass of common voles found in pellets was significantly positively correlated with the availability of their habitats, but was not affected by their frequency in pellets. Our results may indicate that, contrary to the central-place foraging rule, and irrespectively of the amount of other prey taken, the kestrels hunted smaller voles when foraging grounds were further away. This might stem from decreased selectivity caused by competition, either in the native territory (due to the high density of kestrels in the centre) or in territories of outskirt kestrels, invaded by city centre kestrels. On the other hand, due to lack of data on the body size of common voles in our study area, the results may suggest that common voles were on average smaller in the centre than in the outskirts. Although the published data do not support the second explanation, more research is needed to verify this.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

competition; prey size selection; urban environment

PL

konkurencja; łup; środowisko miejskie; wielkość

• Wydawca: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2010
• Tom: Vol. 58, nr 2
• Strony: 387--391
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 31 poz.,Rys., tab.,

Twórcy

autor

Kubacka J.

autor

Żmihorski M.

autor

Mirski P.

autor

Rejt Ł.

• Institute of Environmental Studies, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland,

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