TY - JOUR
T1 - Human disturbance provides foraging opportunities for birds in primary subalpine forest
AU - DuBay, Shane G.
AU - Hart Reeve, Andrew
AU - Wu, Yongjie
PY - 2017/7
Y1 - 2017/7
N2 - Interspecific foraging associations are well-documented phenomena, characterized by one or more species exploiting the behavior of another species to decrease predation or increase foraging success. In rare cases, birds directly exploit human behavior, but examples of these interactions are limited to species that naturally occur in edge, open, or disturbed habitats. With observations and experiments we provide evidence of insectivorous birds exploiting human disturbance in primary subalpine forest in the mountains of southern China, displaying behavioral flexibility to gain novel foraging opportunities. We cut and cleared small swaths of dense bamboo growth for an unrelated study. Multiple insectivorous species were recruited to the cleared areas, foraging extensively in the disturbed earth, often within 1 m of us. These species included Tarsiger chrysaeus, Tarsiger indicus, Cettia brunnifrons or Cettia major, and Heteroxenicus stellatus. This behavior is likely a modification of pre-existing interspecific foraging associations with pheasants and large mammals in the region. These larger animals disturb the earth and lower vegetation layers upon passage and while foraging, exposing previously inaccessible invertebrate prey items on which small insectivorous birds can feed. Our findings highlight a behavioral capacity in birds to utilize human disturbance in an ecosystem with limited human presence.
AB - Interspecific foraging associations are well-documented phenomena, characterized by one or more species exploiting the behavior of another species to decrease predation or increase foraging success. In rare cases, birds directly exploit human behavior, but examples of these interactions are limited to species that naturally occur in edge, open, or disturbed habitats. With observations and experiments we provide evidence of insectivorous birds exploiting human disturbance in primary subalpine forest in the mountains of southern China, displaying behavioral flexibility to gain novel foraging opportunities. We cut and cleared small swaths of dense bamboo growth for an unrelated study. Multiple insectivorous species were recruited to the cleared areas, foraging extensively in the disturbed earth, often within 1 m of us. These species included Tarsiger chrysaeus, Tarsiger indicus, Cettia brunnifrons or Cettia major, and Heteroxenicus stellatus. This behavior is likely a modification of pre-existing interspecific foraging associations with pheasants and large mammals in the region. These larger animals disturb the earth and lower vegetation layers upon passage and while foraging, exposing previously inaccessible invertebrate prey items on which small insectivorous birds can feed. Our findings highlight a behavioral capacity in birds to utilize human disturbance in an ecosystem with limited human presence.
KW - Adaptive foraging
KW - Gongga Mountain
KW - Hengduan Mountains
KW - Human disturbance
KW - Interspecific foraging associations
KW - Seasonality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85021229164&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10336-017-1442-y
DO - 10.1007/s10336-017-1442-y
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85021229164
SN - 0021-8375
VL - 158
SP - 833
EP - 839
JO - Journal of Ornithology
JF - Journal of Ornithology
IS - 3
ER -