Food of nestling green-backed herons in West Central Mississippi
Colonial Waterbird Society Newsletter
By: K.L. Ensor, J.L. Dusi, and D. H. White
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Abstract
Food habits of the green-backed heron have received much attention recently, though little data exists in the literature on food items fed to nestlings. Analysis of 74 nestling boluses collected between 5 May and 10 July 1985 included four categories: a) number of prey items, b) % of total individuals by number, c) % frequency of herons with that particular prey item, d) % of total diet by weight. By class, fish dominated the diet, followed by insects, amphibians, crustaceans, and arachnids in descending order. Amphibians, however, had a higher % of total diet by weight than insects. The mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) made up the largest part of the diet by # of prey items and % of total individuals by #. Bowfin (Amia calva) was the major prey item by weight. Back-swimmers (F. Notonectidae) occurred in more boluses than any other prey item. Lengths of prey items by class will also be discussed.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Food of nestling green-backed herons in West Central Mississippi |
| Series title | Colonial Waterbird Society Newsletter |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Year Published | 1986 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 28 (abstract) |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Colonial Waterbird Society Newsletter |
| First page | 28(abs) |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |