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Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus capturing chironomids in flight: have flight costs been overestimated?

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Author

  • Hans Källander

Summary, in English

The diurnal and seasonal occurrence of flight foraging for midges (Chironomidae) by Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus was studied at a shallow semi-eutrophic lake in South Sweden and their capture rates were recorded. The gulls captured 0.28 chiromids s(-1) (1,012 h(-1)). With a dry mass of 2.08 mg ind(-1) and an energy content of 22.7 kJ g(-1), they achieved an energy intake of c.47 kJ h(-1). It seems that estimates of flight costs may have been over-estimated, and it is concluded that aerial feeding on chironomids by Black-headed Gulls results in a positive energy balance.

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Pages

825-827

Publication/Series

Journal of Ornithology

Volume

155

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • Black-headed Gull
  • Chironomids
  • Energy intake
  • Flight costs

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2193-7206