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Parrots Take it with a Grain of Salt: Available Sodium Content May Drive Collpa (Clay Lick) Selection in Southeastern Peru
Author(s) -
Powell Luke L.,
Powell Thomas U.,
Powell George V. N.,
Brightsmith Donald J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00514.x
Subject(s) - soil water , uncorrelated , sodium , salt (chemistry) , selection (genetic algorithm) , clay soil , mineralogy , environmental science , zoology , chemistry , soil science , biology , mathematics , statistics , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence , computer science
Soils from 18 parrot collpas (‘clay licks’) in southeastern Peru averaged four times more available sodium than uneaten control soils. Collpa soils contained marginally more clay than control sites and clay content was uncorrelated with available sodium content. Parrots may select and ingest soils based on available sodium content.