Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Patterns of food abundance for breeding waterbirds in the San Luis Valley of Colorado

  • Published:
Wetlands Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We measured the amount and distribution of macroinvertebrates and seeds in four wetland habitats (short emergent, seasonal open water, semipermanent/permanent open water, and saltgrass [Distichlis spicata]) used by breeding ducks and shorebirds at a wetland complex in the San Luis Valley, Colorado, USA. Density of macroinvertebrates did not differ among habitats or sampling periods (P=0.45), but dry mass, crude protein, and gross energy production were greater (P<0.05) in short emergent than in other habitats. These differences were largely due to the greater dry mass of gastropods in short emergent than in other habitats. Total seed density, dry mass, crude protein, and gross energy differed among habitats and periods with interaction effects (P<0.01). Although seed abundance varied among habitats and sampling periods, abundance was greatest in short emergent during all sampling periods. Breeding waterbirds consumed a variety of macroinvertebrates and seeds on the study area. Patterns of abundance among habitats of macroinvertebrates and seeds consumed by six waterbird species were not consistent with patterns of foraging habitat use by most ducks and shorebirds at this wetland complex. Our results indicate that estimates of food or nutrient abundance are useful in assessing the functional role of broad habitat types, but factors other than food abundance also influence avian selection of wetland foraging habitats.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Afton, A. D. and S. L. Paulus. 1992. Incubation and brood care. p. 62–108. In B. D. J. Batt, A. D. Afton, M. G. Anderson, C. D. Ankney, D. H. Johnson, J. A. Kadlec, and G. L. Krapu (eds.) Ecology and Management of Breeding Waterfowl. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alisauskas, R. T. and C. D. Ankney. 1992. The cost of egg laying and its relationship to nutrient reserves in waterfowl. p. 30–61. In B. D. J. Batt, A. D. Afton, M. G. Anderson, C. D. Ankney, D. H. Johnson, J. A. Kadlec, and G. L. Krapu (eds.) Ecology and Management of Breeding Waterfowl. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. T. and L. M. Smith. 1998. Protein and energy production in playas: implications for migratory bird management. Wetlands 18:437–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, M. C. 1979. Morphologcal correlates of habitat selection in a community of shorebirds (Charadriiformes). Oikos 33:121–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balla, S. A. and J. A. Davis. 1995. Seasonal variation in the macroinvertebrate fauna of wetlands of differing water regime and nutrient status on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia. Hydrobiologia 299:147–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batzer, D. P., and V. H. Resh. 1992. Wetland management strategies that enhance waterfowl habitats can also control mosquitoes. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 8:117–125.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Batzer, D. P., M. McGee, V. H. Resh, and R. R. Smith. 1993. Characteristics of invertebrates consumed by mallards and prey response to wetland flooding schedules. Wetlands 13:41–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, D. C. and T. P. Aartila. 1992. Contrasts in density of benthic invertebrates between macrophyte beds and open littoral patches in Eau Galle Lake, Wisconsin. American Midland Naturalist 127:77–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buckland, S. T., D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, and J. L. Laake. 1993. Distance Sampling: Estimating Abundance of Biological Populations, Chapman & Hall, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvert, C. C., R. D. Martin, and N. O. Morgan. 1969. House fly pupae as food for poultry. Journal of Economic Entomology 62:938–939.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campeau, S., H. R. Murkin, and R. D. Titman. 1994. Relative importance of algae and emergent plant litter to freshwater marsh invertebrates. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 51:681–692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, M. A. and J. R. Jehl, Jr. 1994. Wilson’s phalarope (Phaloropus tricolor). No. 83. In A. Poole and F. Gill (eds.) The Birds of North America. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA, and the American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colwell, M. A. and S. L. Landrum. 1993. Nonrandom shorebird distribution and fine-scale variation in prey abundance. Condor 95:94–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, K. W. and J. C. Wuycheck. 1971. Caloric equivalents for investigations in ecological energetics. International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology Communication Number 18.

  • Downing, J. A. 1991. The effect of habitat structure on the spatial distribution of freshwater invertebrate populations. p. 87–106. In S. S. Bell, E. D. McCoy, and H. R. Mushinsky (eds.) Habitat Structure. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driver, E. A. 1981. Calorific values of pond invertebrates eaten by ducks. Freshwater Biology 11:579–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Driver, E. A., L. G. Sugden, and R. J. Kovach. 1974. Calorific, chemical and physical values of potential duck foods. Freshwater Biology 4:281–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Environmental Systems Research Institute. 1996. Arc/Info and Arc/Grid, version 7.0.1. Redlands, CA, USA.

  • Fowler, G. W. and J. A. Witter. 1982. Accuracy and precision of insect density and impact estimates. Great Lakes Entomologist 15:103–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, L. H., and M. K. Laubhan. 1994. Intensive wetland management: a key to biodiversity. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 59:555–565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, L. H. and T. S. Taylor. 1982. Management of seasonally flooded impoundments for wildlife. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC, USA. Resource Publication 148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gammonley, J. H. 1995. Spring food habits of Cinnamon Teal in Arizona. Wilson Bulletin 107:64–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukos, D. A. and L. M. Smith. 1995. Chemical composition of seeds from plants in playa wetlands. Wildlife Society Bulletin 23:514–519.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huener, J. D., and J. A. Kadlec. 1992. Macroinvertebrate response to marsh management strategies in Utah. Wetlands 12:72–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, B. J. S. and J. A. Jackson. 2000. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus). No. 517. In A. Poole and F. Gill (eds.) The Birds of North America. The Birds of North America Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendeigh, S. C. and G. C. West. 1965. Caloric values of plant seeds eaten by birds. Ecology 46:553–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, J. R. 1973. Energetics of reproduction in birds. p. 78–107. In D. S. Farner (ed.) Breeding Biology of Birds. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krapu, G. L. and G. A. Swanson. 1975. Some nutritional aspects of reproduction in prairie nesting pintails. Journal of Wildlife Management 39:156–162.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krapu, G. L. and K. J. Reinecke. 1992. Foraging ecology and nutrition. p. 1–29. In B. D. J. Batt, A. D. Afton, M. G. Anderson, C. D. Ankney, D. H. Johnson, J. A. Kadlec, and G. L. Krapu (eds.) Ecology and Management of Breeding Waterfowl. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laubhan, M. K. and J. H. Gammonley. 2000. Density and foraging habitat selection of waterbirds breeding in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 64:808–819.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, W. C. and R. H. Barth, Jr. 1992. The effects of feeding rate on reproductive success in the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata. Animal Behaviour 44:851–857.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A. C. and W. D. Barkley. 1961. Seed Identification Manual. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merritt, R. W. and K. W. Cummins. 1984. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murkin, H. R., P. A. Abbott, and J. A. Kadlec. 1983. A comparison of activity traps and sweep nets for sampling nectonic invertebrates in wetlands. Freshwater Invertebrate Biology 2:99–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murkin, H. R. and J. A. Kadlec. 1986. Relationships between waterfowl and macroinvertebrate densities in a northern prairie marsh. Journal of Wildlife Management 50:212–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murkin, H. R., D. A. Wrubleski, and F. A. Reid. 1994. Sampling invertebrates in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. p. 349–369. In T. A. Bookhout (ed.) Research and Management Techniques for Wildlife and Habitats. Fifth ed. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mushet, D. M., N. H. Euliss, Jr., and S. W. Harris. 1992. Effects of irrigation on seed production and vegetative characteristics of four moist-soil plants on impounded wetlands in California. Wetlands 12:204–207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neckles, H. A., H. R. Murkin, and J. A. Cooper. 1990. Influences of seasonal flooding on macroinvertebrate abundance in wetland habitats. Freshwater Biology 23:311–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norberg, R. A. 1978. Energy content of some spiders and insects on branches of spruce (Picea abies) in winter, prey of certain passerine birds. Oikos 31:222–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nudds, T. D. and J. M. Bowlby. 1984. Predator-prey size relationships in North American dabbling ducks. Canadian Journal of Zoology 62:2002–2008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennak, R. W. 1978. Freshwater Invertebrates of the United States. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poysa, J. 1983. Resource utilization patterns and guild structure in a waterfowl community. Oikos 40:295–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resh, V. H. 1979. Sampling variability and life history features: basic considerations in the design of aquatic insect studies. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 36:290–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robel, R. J., J. N. Briggs, A. D. Dayton, and L. C. Hulbert. 1970. Relationships between visual obstruction measurements and weight of grassland vegetation. Journal of Range Management 23:295–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robel, R. J., B. M. Press, B. L. Henning, K. W. Johnson, H. D. Blocker, and K. E. Kemp. 1995. Nutrient and energetic characteristics of sweepnet-collected invertebrates. Journal of Field Ornithology 66:44–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. A., L. W. Oring, J. P. Skorupa, and R. Boettcher. 1997. American avocet (Recurvirostra americana). No. 275. In A. Poole and F. Gill (eds.) The Birds of North America. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA and the American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Safran, R. J., C. R. Isola, M. A. Colwell, and O. E. Williams. 1997. Benthic invertebrates at foraging locations of nine waterbird species in managed wetlands of the northern San Joaquin Valley, California. Wetlands 17:407–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute Inc. 1985. SAS/STAT Guide for Personal Computers. Version 6 ed. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serie, J. R. and G. A. Swanson. 1976. Feeding ecology of breeding gadwalls on saline wetlands. Journal of Wildlife Management 40:69–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skagen, S. K. and H. D. Oman. 1996. Dietary flexibility of shorebirds in the western hemisphere. Canadian Field-Naturalist 110:419–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R., and F. J. Rohlf. 1981. Biometry. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, NY, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, D. W. and J. R. Krebs. 1986. Foraging Theory. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, D. W., J. F. Lynch, A. E. Sorensen, and C. Gordon. 1986. Preference and profitability: theory and experiment. American Naturalist 127:533–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Streever, W. J., D. L. Evans, C. M. Keenan, and T. L. Crisman. 1995. Chironomidae (Diptera) and vegetation in a created wetland with implications for sampling. Wetlands 15:285–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sugden, L. G. 1973. Feeding ecology of pintail, gadwall, American wigeon and lesser scaup ducklings in southern Alberta. Canadian Wildlife Service Report Series No. 24.

  • Swanson, G. A. 1983. Benthic sampling for waterfowl foods in emergent vegetation. Journal of Wildlife Management 47:821–823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colorado Division of Wildlife, 317 W. Prospect Road, 80526, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

    James H. Gammonley

  2. Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, 4512 McMurray Avenue, 80525, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

    Murray K. Laubhan

Authors
  1. James H. Gammonley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Murray K. Laubhan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James H. Gammonley.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gammonley, J.H., Laubhan, M.K. Patterns of food abundance for breeding waterbirds in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Wetlands 22, 499–508 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0499:POFAFB]2.0.CO;2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0499:POFAFB]2.0.CO;2

Key Words

Search

Navigation