Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island

dc.contributor.advisorSiegfried, W Ren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBurger, Alan Eckarden_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-02-24T04:15:13Z
dc.date.available2015-02-24T04:15:13Z
dc.date.issued1980en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAdaptations to island life have seldom been studied in birds outside temperate or tropical regions. Lesser Sheathbills Chionis minor (Charadriiformes; Chionididae) were studied at Marion Island (46°54'S, 37°45'E) and the ways in which their feeding ecology, breeding biology and social behaviour were adapted to existence on a sub-Antarctic island were assessed. The birds' reproductive output and post-fledging survival rates were estimated and probable factors limiting the population examined. Seasonal and spatial variations in the diet and foraging habits were related to the quality, availability and distribution of food, and the effects of interspecific competition, the weather and predators. The adaptiveness of the broad trophic niche was investigated. A hypothesis that the variable social behaviour facilitated exploitation of variable food resources to benefit individual birds was examined; particular attention was paid to territoriality among breeding (summer) and non-breeding (winter) adults within penguin colonies and flocking amongst birds foraging on the coastal plain. Time and energy budgets of birds feeding in these habitats were drawn up. Displays by Lesser Sheathbills were described and their functions in territories, flocks, at nest sites and in sexual interactions were quantitatively assessed.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBurger, A. E. (1980). <i>Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12545en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBurger, Alan Eckard. <i>"Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1980. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12545en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBurger, A. 1980. Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Burger, Alan Eckard AB - Adaptations to island life have seldom been studied in birds outside temperate or tropical regions. Lesser Sheathbills Chionis minor (Charadriiformes; Chionididae) were studied at Marion Island (46°54'S, 37°45'E) and the ways in which their feeding ecology, breeding biology and social behaviour were adapted to existence on a sub-Antarctic island were assessed. The birds' reproductive output and post-fledging survival rates were estimated and probable factors limiting the population examined. Seasonal and spatial variations in the diet and foraging habits were related to the quality, availability and distribution of food, and the effects of interspecific competition, the weather and predators. The adaptiveness of the broad trophic niche was investigated. A hypothesis that the variable social behaviour facilitated exploitation of variable food resources to benefit individual birds was examined; particular attention was paid to territoriality among breeding (summer) and non-breeding (winter) adults within penguin colonies and flocking amongst birds foraging on the coastal plain. Time and energy budgets of birds feeding in these habitats were drawn up. Displays by Lesser Sheathbills were described and their functions in territories, flocks, at nest sites and in sexual interactions were quantitatively assessed. DA - 1980 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1980 T1 - Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island TI - Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12545 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/12545
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBurger AE. Behavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Island. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1980 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12545en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherOrnithologyen_ZA
dc.titleBehavioural ecology of lesser sheathbills Chionis minor at Marion Islanden_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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