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Importance of Native Seeds in White‐Winged Dove Diets Dominated by Agricultural Grains
Author(s) -
PRUITT KENNETH D.,
HEWITT DAVID G.,
SILVY NOVA J.,
BENN STEVE
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2006-436
Subject(s) - sorghum , sunflower , biology , forage , productivity , dove , agriculture , agronomy , white (mutation) , ecology , biochemistry , political science , law , gene , economics , macroeconomics
Agricultural intensification is a key factor in the decline of many avian populations throughout the world, yet the exact mechanisms that contribute to these declines are relatively unresolved, especially for seed‐eating species. We tested the hypothesis that forage quality, particularly protein content, limits productivity in birds consuming diets dominated by agricultural grains and lacking in native forages. We used white‐winged doves ( Zenaida asiatica ) because columbids are highly granivorous and white‐winged doves have declined in areas dominated by grain agriculture. We randomly assigned 52 pairs of captive doves to 1 of 2 treatments: we fed one treatment sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) and the second sorghum plus native seeds (croton [ Croton sp.] and native sunflower [ Helianthus sp.]). Birds with access to native seeds fledged 123% more young per pair, with young weighing 32% more at fledging than those fed only sorghum. Doves with access to native seeds selected a diet consisting of 43% sorghum, 32% croton, and 25% sunflower. We conclude that agricultural grains, which typically have high metabolizable energy and low to moderate protein concentrations, are not sufficient for normal productivity of white‐winged doves. The lack of native forages with sufficient metabolizable energy and protein content may be a factor in the declining productivity of white‐winged doves in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, USA, as well as other species in regions dominated by agriculture.