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  • Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) predation on passerine birds in Namibia [Elektronski vir]
    Portas, Ruben ; Krofel, Miha
    Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are known for their flexible foraging behavior and trophic interactions with diverse prey species. However, most studies describing their hunting behavior are focused ... on predation of large prey. Here we describe the capture rates and behavior of adult and subadult spotted hyenas hunting passerine birds. Hyenas were actively chasing, catching and feeding on red-billed queleas (Quelea quelea), a passerine bird gathering in large flocks at a waterhole in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. In total, we observed 38 successful captures with the average individual capture rate of 21 birds caught per hour. It remains unclear if this is a learned behavior of a single hyena clan or if it could be a widespread interaction across Africa, where the two species co-occur. Although it is unlikely that passerines could make up a substantial part of a spotted hyenas diet regardless of the location, our observations provide a rare documented example of trophic interactions between a large carnivore and small birds. It also represents an addition to a diverse repertoire of hyena foraging behaviors, which confirms their adaptability in obtaining food from non-typical sources.
    Source: Food webs. - ISSN 2352-2496 (Vol. 38, [article no] e00340, 2024, str. 1-3)
    Type of material - e-article
    Publish date - 2024
    Language - english
    COBISS.SI-ID - 189437187

    Link(s):

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352249624000065
    Repository of the University of Ljubljana – RUL
    DOI

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