The Birds of the Western Palearctic

Middle Pleistocene bird consumption at Level XI of Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain)

Numerous taphonomic studies show that archaeologists should carefully evaluate the origins of faunal remains found in archaeological sites. Although extensive research has been done on natural sources of terrestrial faunal remains in archaeological sites, much less has been devoted to potential sources of aquatic fauna. Hundreds of animal species feed on shellfish, fish, and other aquatic fauna, and many transport food to terrestrial landforms where they may be mixed or confused with faunal remains left by humans. In this paper, we illustrate the problem by summarizing the habits of a number of animals known to feed on and transport shellfish and other aquatic animals. We also discuss examples where the remains of aquatic animals of non-human origin may have been confused with archaeological materials. Such biological imprints may be most pronounced on early sites, where questions about the antiquity of aquatic adaptations are paramount.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/0C4E2F7E79681E0D2A4A2090AD6E4BBE/S0002731600042578a.pdf/div-class-title-shellfish-feeders-carrion-eaters-and-the-archaeology-of-aquatic-adaptations-div.pdf

Shellfish Feeders, Carrion Eaters, and the Archaeology of Aquatic Adaptations

Three sets of time series on plant seed production and herbivore number were analysed in order to test the proposed mast depression hypothesis, which states that cyclic population fluctuations of herbivores is a result of cyclic seed cropping of plants, because high seed crops, termed masts, are produced at the expense of chemical defence against herbivores. From 1880 to 1916, the annual export of small game, mainly willow grouse Lagopus lagopus, from Oslo was positively correlated with the quantity of berries, mainly bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and cowberry V. ritis-Idaea, exported in the previous year. In vegarshei, South Norway, the intervals between years of high access of bilberry and cow-berry varied from 3 to 5 yr during 1952 95. All mast years were followed by a year of high microtine population. In South Norway, mast years of Norway spruce Picea abies, which usually shows high flowering intensity in the same years as mountain birch Betula pubescens, occurred with a mean interval of 9.8 yr (range 7 13 yr) during 1930-85. Almost all attacks of autumnal moth Epirrita autumnata on mountain birch were reported after a mast year of forest trees. The synchronised flowering cycles of plants indicate that high seed crops are induced by some climatic conditions. Allocating a large proportion of available resources, including chemical defence compounds, to seed production in some years of advantageous conditions may improve a plant's total life-time reproduction, despite the subsequent risk of serious damage by herbivores.

Cyclic population fluctuations of herbivores as an effect of cyclic seed cropping of plants: the mast depression hypothesis

Feral Pigeons have colonised all corners of the Earth, having developed a close association with humans and their activities. The wild ancestor of the Feral Pigeon, the Rock Dove, is a species of rocky habitats, nesting typically on cliff ledges and at the entrance to large caves. This habit would have brought them into close contact with cave-dwelling humans, a relationship usually linked to the development of dwellings in the Neolithic. We show that the association between humans and Rock Doves is an ancient one with its roots in the Palaeolithic and predates the arrival of modern humans into Europe. At Gorham's Cave, Gibraltar, the Neanderthals exploited Rock Doves for food for a period of over 40 thousand years, the earliest evidence dating to at least 67 thousand years ago. We show that the exploitation was not casual or sporadic, having found repeated evidence of the practice in different, widely spaced, temporal contexts within the cave. Our results point to hitherto unappreciated capacities of the Neanderthals to exploit birds as food resources on a regular basis. More so, they were practising it long before the arrival of modern humans and had therefore invented it independently.

/pdf/the-earliest-pigeon-fanciers-4e98l6ch77.pdf

The earliest pigeon fanciers

Damage to Bird Bones in Pellets of GyrfalconFalco rusticolus

Food matter eaten in the first snowless spots early in the spring by capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and willow grouse Lagopus lagopus was studied in Finnish Forest Lapland. When the snow disappears, both species change to feeding mainly on the plants available in the snowless spots, although male capercaillie does not exploit this nutritious diet to the same extent as female capercaillie and willow grouse. Selection in favour of nitrogen and phosphorus-rich food items, i.e. Betula pubescens, male catkins Eriophorum vaginatum, flower buds, and Equisetum spp., stems and tips, seems to be characteristic especially of the female capercaillie, whose winter diet is poor in these elements. Female capercaillie also feeds on more plant species or different parts of plants at one time than willow grouse, while no differences were recorded between male and female willow grouse in the composition of their spring food. The crowberry Empetrum hermaphroditum, almost regularly produces a bountiful berry crop in northern Finland, and since it overwinters well, it represents an easy source of energy and water available almost every spring. The quality and/or the quantity of the green food matter available early in the spring may fluctuate considerably and be of importance for short-term fluctuations in the populations of these tetraonid species.

Responses by the capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, and the willow grouse Lagopus lagopus, to the green matter available in early spring

The Snowy Owl has, during the last 70 years, bred in Finnish Lapland only in 1974, 1987, and 1988. We collected diet material directly from nest bowls, and from pellets found around the nests and at the resting sites of adults and young. These three parts may give different results of the diet. In the identification, bones of legs and pelvis were used. The Norwegian lemming was the main prey, but also Clethrionomysand Microtus-voles had large parts in the diet. This diet composition has not been observed earlier. The invasions of Snowy Owls to south have sometimes reached areas with good vole populations, but in other cases the owls have successfully preyed upon larger mammals and birds. The Snowy Owl is thus an effective and opportunistic bird of prey, but breeding is possible only if lemmings or voles are available in very large numbers in the arctic breeding area.

Diet of Finnish Snowy Owls Nyctea scandiaca

The breeding biology of the Siberian Tit was studied in several areas within the whole breeding range of this species in Finland. A total of about 920 nests came to our knowledge. The breeding densities exceeded 4 pairs/km2 in best habitats and the population decline since the 1940s has not been as marked as suspected. The onset of laying did not vary much between the study areas. The mean at Kuusamo (southern edge of the range) was 18 May, and 22 May at Kilpisjarvi where the environment is harshest. The mean clutch size was 7.94 with moderate geographic variation, but no clear geographical trends. No genuine second clutches have ever been recorded in the Siberian Tit. The breeding success (number of young fledging of number of eggs laid) varied between 60 and 87 % being highest at Kuusamo and lowest at Kilpisjarvi.

Breeding biology of the Siberian TitParus cinctus in Finland

The study was carried out in the Vaniotunturi fell area (67°44'N, 29°37 'E) under northern taiga forest conditions. The habitat, a Pinus heath is extremely poor and monotonous. Altogether 196 pitfall traps 10 metres apart (0 8.5 em, height 10.3 em, with a lid 5 em above the trap) arranged in a quadrat were used in 1991, and the same field with an additional40 traps placed one trap at each end of a two-metre wall was used from 1992 to 1994. The individuals of Carabus glabratus were marked with a small label cut off from a traffic sign sticker in 1991 and 1992. Only these captured and marked ones were recorded in the following years. In 1994 the trapping was done by killing the beetles. 524 individuals were marked. Males dominated in both years. The recapture proportion was significantly higher for the beetles marked in 1992 than for those of the previous year. The marked beetles were recaptured within four days on average. The estimated maximal population size in 1991 was 1400 individuals, occurring at the beginning of July, while in 1992 it was 3000 exx., in the middle of June. About 15% of the beetles marked in 1991 were caught at least once during the year of marking. Two years after marking, the proportion of recaptures decreased to 2%, but one male marked in 1991 was still captured in 1994.

/pdf/mobility-population-size-and-life-time-pattern-of-carabus-10iu6h502e.pdf

Mobility, population size and life time pattern of Carabus glabratus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) under extreme northern forest conditions.

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