TY - JOUR
T1 - Reproduction of the pallid swift (apus pallidus) in relation to weather and aerial insect abundance
AU - Cucco, Marco
AU - Malacarne, Giorgio
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - The reproductive activity of swifts is affected by seasonal fluc tuations of aerial insects which are largely unpredictable, depending day by day on climatic conditions. In this work we investigated whether the parental food provisioning is influenced by hourly fluc tuations of insect abundance or if adults maintain a constant feeding rate. We found during each day that the amount of food delivered to nestlings was not related to hourly insect availability. We also verified that daily insect abundance is related to daily minimum and maximum temperature (38% of variability explained) and is unrelated to rainfall. Finally we compared, during different reproductive seasons, the aerial insect abundance and the biomass (eggs and nestlings) produced by adult swifts. Insect abundance was constantly high from June to September and did not precisely match the main period of biomass production (first clutch), which reached a maximum in July.
AB - The reproductive activity of swifts is affected by seasonal fluc tuations of aerial insects which are largely unpredictable, depending day by day on climatic conditions. In this work we investigated whether the parental food provisioning is influenced by hourly fluc tuations of insect abundance or if adults maintain a constant feeding rate. We found during each day that the amount of food delivered to nestlings was not related to hourly insect availability. We also verified that daily insect abundance is related to daily minimum and maximum temperature (38% of variability explained) and is unrelated to rainfall. Finally we compared, during different reproductive seasons, the aerial insect abundance and the biomass (eggs and nestlings) produced by adult swifts. Insect abundance was constantly high from June to September and did not precisely match the main period of biomass production (first clutch), which reached a maximum in July.
KW - Aerial feeding birds
KW - Daily rhythm of activity
KW - Influence of weather
KW - Pallid swift reproduction
KW - Seasonal changes in food
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0242315004&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/11250009609356141
DO - 10.1080/11250009609356141
M3 - Article
SN - 1125-0003
VL - 63
SP - 247
EP - 253
JO - Italian Journal of Zoology
JF - Italian Journal of Zoology
IS - 3
ER -