Time of Breeding in Relation to Food Availability of Female Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias)
1993; Oxford University Press; Volume: 110; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/4088625
ISSN1938-4254
Autores Tópico(s)Bird parasitology and diseases
ResumoI examined the hypotheses that Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) began breeding in spring shortly after acquiring enough food to make eggs, or so that chicks were in nests when food was most plentiful. Egg laying began about nine days after a female's daily food intake crossed an estimated energy threshold of 1,715 kJ/day. In contrast, the peak in availability of food energy to adults occurred at least 26 days before the peak food demands of their chicks. The estimated food energy intake by adults increased gradually in March and April with increasing duration of low tides and the inshore movement of fishes. Adult food energy intake reached a peak in May when shiner seaperch (Cymatogaster agreggata) were most abundant, and diminished through June and July.
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