Pause-Travel Tactics of Foraging Juncos (Junco hyemalis)
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Authors
Mali, Vivek V.
Issue Date
1994
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Our goal was to develop a greater understanding between relationships of
seed density, pause duration, and travel length in feeding behavior of seed-eating
Juncos (Junco hyernaIis). How does seed density affect pause duration and
travel length? What differences can be observed when the seeds are cryptic?
What differences can be observed between detected and undetected seeds?
Experiments were designed in order to observe foraging behavior of sparrows in
an indoor aviary. Seed densities were set at 16, 32, and 64 seeds/m2. Seed
crypticity was also controlled by placing seeds above or below the foraging
surface, thus making the seeds flush with the foraging substrate. Generally,
pause duration was longer for seeds located in the holes. Pause duration was
also longer for undetected seeds versus detected seeds for both cryptic and
surface seeds. Travel length for cryptic seeds was longer for undetected seeds.
Travel length for detected surface seeds was longer at 16 seeds/m2, but travel
length for undetected surface seeds at 32 and 64 seeds / m2 were greater. From
the results, we are able to concur with previous research that more conspicuous
prey take less time to detect (Dawkins, 1971; Guilford & Dawkins, 1987). As
seed density increases, pause duration and travel length should decrease, due to
more abundant prey and quicker encounters.
Description
v, 31 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.