Electronic versions

  • Jenny Dunn
    RSPB Centre for Conservation ScienceCardiff UniversityUniversity of Lincoln
  • Jen Stockdale
    Cardiff University
  • Rosemary Moorhouse-Gann
    Cardiff University
  • Alexandra McCubbin
    Cardiff University
  • Helen Hipperson
    NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility
  • Antony Morris
    RSPB Centre for Conservation Science
  • Philip Grice
    RSPB Centre for Conservation Science
  • William Symondson
    Cardiff University
Dietary changes linked to the availability of anthropogenic food resources can have complex implications for species and ecosystems, especially when species are in decline. Here, we use recently developed primers targeting the ITS2 region of plants to characterize diet from faecal samples of four UK columbids, with particular focus on the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a rapidly declining obligate granivore. We examine dietary overlap between species (potential competition), associations with body condition in turtle doves and spatiotemporal variation in diet. We identified 143 taxonomic units, of which we classified 55% to species, another 34% to genus and the remaining 11% to family. We found significant dietary overlap between all columbid species, with the highest between turtle doves and stock doves (Columba oenas), then between turtle doves and woodpigeons (Columba palumbus). The lowest overlap was between woodpigeons and collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto). We show considerable change in columbid diets compared to previous studies, probably reflecting opportunistic foraging behaviour by columbids within a highly anthropogenically modified landscape, although our data for nonturtle doves should be considered preliminary. Nestling turtle doves in better condition had a higher dietary proportion of taxonomic units from natural arable plant species and a lower proportion of taxonomic units from anthropogenic food resources such as garden bird seed mixes and brassicas. This suggests that breeding ground conservation strategies for turtle doves should include provision of anthropogenic seeds for adults early in the breeding season, coupled with habitat rich in accessible seeds from arable plants once chicks have hatched.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3386-3407
JournalMolecular Ecology
Volume27
Issue number16
Early online date21 Jun 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2018
Externally publishedYes

Total downloads

No data available
View graph of relations