Small birds boost the already various food regimen of noticed hyenas in Namibia

Spotted hyenas are identified for looking (or scavenging) bigger mammals equivalent to antelopes and infrequently feed on smaller mammals and reptiles. Being versatile within the alternative of prey is a technique of generalists—and this even extends to small passerine birds, as scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and the University of Ljubljana noticed in Namibia.

Spotted hyenas pursued red-billed queleas, picked them from the bottom or the floor of a waterhole and swallowed them entire, at successful charge of roughly one hen each three minutes. These observations have been described for the primary time in phrase, pictures and movies in Food Webs.

The food regimen breadth of hyenas is matched by few different carnivores. Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are identified to hunt quite a lot of bigger mammals equivalent to zebras and antelopes in southern and jap Africa—but additionally ostriches, flamingos, reptiles, different carnivores. They additionally scavenge on carcasses from giraffes to elephants and cattle. Until now only a few observations of hyenas feeding on small birds have been reported.

“In our paper we describe for the primary time the looking and feeding conduct of noticed hyenas on red-billed queleas (Quelea quelea), a passerine hen identified for its big flocks, at a waterhole within the Etosha National Park in Namibia,” say Rubén Portas and Dr. Miha Krofel, scientists working for the Leibniz-IZW and the University of Ljubljana.

On two completely different days they noticed, filmed and photographed noticed hyenas chasing flying birds or choosing them from the bottom or the water floor, and devouring them entire on the waterhole. “We noticed {that a} single hyena can catch on common one hen each three minutes,” the scientists conclude from their observations.

The scientists might draw some conclusions concerning the feeding conduct of noticed hyenas from their observations.

“It provides to the identified number of the noticed hyena food regimen and looking techniques, since this conduct has not been documented earlier than,” says Portas. “It confirms their flexibility and skill to take advantage of foraging alternatives and acquiring meals from uncommon sources. We may present a primary estimate on the seize charges and the meals consumption of hyenas looking passerine birds.”

As the observations have been restricted to a single waterhole, it’s potential that the described foraging tactic was particular to the hyenas from the noticed clan and occurred as an opportunistic response to an considerable meals supply, the authors say. Between May and August, 1000’s of wintering red-billed queleas collect at waterholes in Namibia.

Portas and Krofel frequently perform subject analysis on vultures, lions, leopards and hyenas and examine carnivore-scavenger interactions and data switch within the scavenger group for the and InterMuc tasks in Etosha National Park.