Do Spotted Doves need to forage extensively in food-rich urban environments?

Alan Lill, Beth Geraldene
pp. 121-124


Abstract

Many ‘urban exploiter’ birds have access to much more abundant food resources than their exurban counterparts and so potentially may not have to allocate much time to foraging. Exotic Spotted Doves Streptopelia chinensis in Melbourne, Victoria, spent a mean of only 17% of ‘off-nest’ daytime in foraging. Factors emerging from this and previous studies that might permit this small proportional time allocation to foraging include: (1) a rapid rate of food acquisition (1 item per second of continuous feeding), (2) energetically inexpensive foraging behaviour, and (3) a negligible level of intra- and interspecific interference competition for food. To some extent, a foraging strategy comprising many, brief, highly productive foraging bouts, and consequently a small daily proportional time allocation to foraging, may also be dictated by Spotted Doves’ digestive physiology.


References


Anderies, J., Katti, M. & Shochat, E. (2007). Living in the city: Resource availability, predation, and bird population dynamics in urban areas. Journal of Theoretical Biology 247, 36–49.

Berry, R. (1998). Reintroduction of kaka (Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis) to Mount Bruce Reserve, Wairarapa, New Zealand. Science for Conservation 89. Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand.

Blair, R.B. (2001). Creating a homogeneous avifauna. In: Marzluff, J.M., Bowman, R. & Donnelly, R.E. (Eds). Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World. Kluwer Academic, Norwell, Massachusetts, USA.

Cameron, H. (1990). Spacing Behaviour, Time Budgets and Territoriality in Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris chloris) and Grey Warbler (Gerygone igata) at Kowhai Bush. MSc thesis. University of Canterbury, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Diamond, J.M., Karasov, W.H., Phan, D. & Carpenter, F.L. (1986). Digestive physiology is a determinant of foraging bout frequency in hummingbirds. Nature 320, 62–63.

Fitzsimons, J.A., Antos, M.J. & Palmer, G.C. (2011). When more is less: Urban remnants support high bird abundance but diversity varies. Pacific Conservation Biology 17, 97–109.

Frith, H.J., McKean, J.L. & Braithwaite, L.W. (1976). Sexual cycles and food of the doves Streptopelia chinensis and S. senegalensis in Australia. Emu 76, 15–24.

Gendall, J., Lill, A. & Beckman, J. (2015). Tolerance of human disturbance by long-time resident and recent colonist urban doves. Avian Research 6, 7–14.

Geraldene, B.L. (2004). Time-activity Budget and Foraging Behaviour of Spotted Turtle-Doves (Streptopelia chinensis) in the Urban Environment. BSc Hons thesis. Monash University, Melbourne.

Haylock, J. & Lill, A. (1988). Winter ecological energetics of two passerine bird species in temperate wet forest. Australian Wildlife Research 15, 319–329.

Kitchen, K., Lill, A. & Price, M. (2010). Tolerance of human disturbance by urban Magpie-larks. Australian Field Ornithology 27, 1–9.

Lill, A. (1991). Behavioural energetics of overwintering in the Rifleman, Acanthisitta chloris. Australian Journal of Zoology 39, 643–654.

Lill, A. (1996). Foraging behavioural ecology of the Superb Lyrebird. Corella 20, 77–87

Long, J.L. (1981). Introduced Birds of the World. Reed, Sydney.

Magrath, R.D. & Lill, A. (1983). The use of time and energy by the Crimson Rosella in a temperate wet forest in winter. Australian Journal of Zoology 31, 903–912.

Magrath, R.D. & Lill, A. (1985). Age-related differences in behaviour and ecology of Crimson Rosellas, Platycercus elegans, during the non-breeding season. Australian Wildlife Research 12, 299–306.

Martin, P. & Bateson, P. (2007). Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

McGiffin, A., Lill, A., Beckman, J. & Johnstone, C.P. (2013). Tolerance of human approaches by the common myna across an urban-rural gradient. Emu 113, 154–160.

Møller, A.P. (2009). Successful city dwellers: A comparative study of the ecological characteristics of urban birds in the Western Palearctic. Oecologia 159, 849–858.

Mulhall, S. & Lill, A. (2011). What facilitates urban colonisation by Crested Pigeons Ochyphaps lophotes? Corella 35, 73–81.

Murphy, D.J. & Kelly, D. (2001). Scarce or distracted? Bellbird (Anthornis melanura) foraging and diet in an area of inadequate mistletoe pollination. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 25, 69–81.

Pizzey, G. & Knight, F. (2012). The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. 9th edn. Harper Collins, Melbourne.

Platt, A. & Lill, A. (2006). Composition and conservation value of bird assemblages of urban ‘habitat islands’: Do pedestrian traffic and landscape variables exert an influence? Urban Ecosystems 9, 83–97.

Poirot, C.L. (2004). The Role of Predation as a Limiting Factor of Bellbird (Anthornis melanura) Nest Success in New Zealand. MSc thesis. University of Canterbury, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Powlesland, R.G. (1981). Comparisons of time budgets for mainland and Outer Chetwode Island populations of adult male South Island Robins. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 4, 98–105.

Ruwandeniya, C. & Lill, A. (in press). Do exotic birds dominate garden food stations in an Australian city? Corella 40

Shochat, E., Warren, P., Faeth, S., McIntyre, N. & Hope, D. (2006). From patterns to emerging processes in mechanistic urban ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21, 186–191.

White, J.G., Antos, M.J., Fitzsimons, J.A. & Palmer, G.C. (2005). Non-uniform bird assemblages in urban environments: The influence of streetscape vegetation. Landscape and Urban Planning 71, 123–135.

Williams, T.D. (2012). Physiological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.