Influence of Grain Characteristics on Optimal Diet of Field-Feeding Mallards Anas platyrhynchos

(1) The relationship between cereal preference and rate of energy intake was studied for the mallard and four types of cereal grain. (2) In a field experiment, where wheat and barley were extremely abundant, wild mallards tended to feed more often in, and depleted grain more rapidly from, barley tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of applied ecology 1986-12, Vol.23 (3), p.763-771
Main Authors: Clark, R. G., Greenwood, H., Sugden, L. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anas platyrhynchos
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Aves
Barley
Biological and medical sciences
Cereal grains
Crop damage
Diet
Ducks
Durum wheat
Energy intake
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Grains
Threshing
Vertebrata
Wheat
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Summary:(1) The relationship between cereal preference and rate of energy intake was studied for the mallard and four types of cereal grain. (2) In a field experiment, where wheat and barley were extremely abundant, wild mallards tended to feed more often in, and depleted grain more rapidly from, barley than from two varieties of hard spring (hard-kernel) wheat. (3) In a laboratory study, mallards chose unthreshed durum (soft-kernel) wheat and barley over two varieties of hard spring wheat. Mallards removed kernels from heads (i.e. ears or cereal spikes) of barley and durum wheat faster than from hard spring wheat, and thereby ingested energy more quickly. However, when kernels were removed from the heads the preferences changed and mallards ate more hard spring wheat, followed by durum wheat, then barley. (4) The findings suggest that rate of energy intake rather than energy content is most important to cereal choice by field-feeding mallards, and possibly to other animals involved in crop damage. Thus, practical modifications to cereal grains which reduce animals' feeding efficiencies offer some promise for alleviating crop damage.
ISSN:0021-8901
1365-2664
DOI:10.2307/2403932