Jim Davis wrote.....
> In a book I am reading the author states that Freckled Ducks (S.naevosa)
> feed at night because that is when the duck's food becomes available.
> The author, however, fails to identify the food source.
> Unfortunately, none of my in house references are of any help to
> confirm the author's statement.
> I have two questions for the Birding-Aus group?
> 1) Are Freckled Ducks nocturnal?
> 2) What do they eat other than aquatic algae and invertebrates?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
> I am making a list of desert-dwelling birds that feed at night other than
> owls and nightjars. I have four species if I include the Freckle Duck.
=====================================
> 1
> Freckled Duck
> Hanzab V1, Pt B,P1161 states
> "Feed by day and night, but nocturnal or crepuscular feeding typical and
> seems normal during breeding season "
> Reader's Digest CBoAB 2nd Ed 1st Revise states
> "During the day birds rest in dense cover, usually in deep water.
> At night they fly silently out to the shallows to feed"
>
> FOOD.... Hanzab P1164 has 1/2 page very detailed info of oesophagas &
> gizzard contents that I suggest you should read but one extract is "the
> animals, thought to have been ingested accidentally, were crustaceans
> copepods, ostrocods; insects bugs......, beetles.......caddisfly larv;
other
> animals were sponges"
>
> H.J.Friths "Waterfowl in Aust" P 119 very much summarised states
> .....30% vol algae (most birds)
> .....20% seeds of smartweeds and docks (most)
> .....16% aquatic grasses inc barn-yard grass and water couch(60% of birds)
> ..... 6% insects (most birds)
> .....11% animal food
> Other plant food included the seeds of many aquatic
> plants,sedges,nardoo,clovers.thistles(usually found in only 1 or 2
stomachs
>
> Nicci Thompson(from Toowoomba) found a dead FD under power lines near
> our Mount Isa power station. We presume it flew into the lines at night
>
============================================================================
> 2
> The Plumed Whistling-Duck (previously also known as the Grass W-D)
territory
> extends into the deserts.
> They cluster in groups near water during the day but often fly out to
graze
> during the night (or move to the waters edge and dabble)
>
============================================================================
> 3
> (The elusive) NP
> Some ex cattle station people have related to me that they have seen a
"big
> budgie" come into station dams to drink just on dusk....in preparation for
a
> nights feeding ?
>
============================================================================
> 4
> Common Bronzewings wait near water till dusk to drink then sometimes wait
> till well after dark to drink.
> (I've seen 5 wait until 3/4 hour after dark at one location) Is it
possible
> they may then have a snack before retiring ?
> I've read that they also drink before daybreak
>
============================================================================
> Regards...Bob Forsyth
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus"
in the message body (without the quotes)
|
