Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia
Understanding foraging strategies of birds is essential to understanding mechanisms of their community assembly. To provide such information on a key Southeast Asian rainforest family, the babblers (Timaliidae), we evaluated foraging behavior and abundance in 7 morphologically and behaviorally simil...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2016
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/1/Foraging%20ecology%20and%20occurrence.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848852518904266752 |
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| author | Styring, Alison Robinson Ragai, Roslina Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Sheldon, Frederick Halsey |
| author_facet | Styring, Alison Robinson Ragai, Roslina Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Sheldon, Frederick Halsey |
| author_sort | Styring, Alison Robinson |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Understanding foraging strategies of birds is essential to understanding mechanisms of their community assembly. To provide such information on a key Southeast Asian rainforest family, the babblers (Timaliidae), we evaluated foraging behavior and abundance in 7 morphologically and behaviorally similar sympatric species (Cyanoderma erythropterum, C. rufifrons, Stachyris maculata, S. nigricollis, S. poliocephala, Macronus ptilosus, and Mixornis gularis) in 5 habitats defined by structural complexity: (1) continuous native rainforest, (2) logged native rainforest fragments, (3) mature industrial tree plantation, (4) young industrial plantation, and (5) oil palm plantation. Enough data were obtained to compare abundance in all 7 species and foraging behavior in 5. All species were common in forest fragments and mature industrial tree plantations and less so in continuous rainforest and young industrial plantations; only M. gularis occurred in oil palm. In terms of foraging, M. gularis was the greatest generalist; C. rufifrons foraged mainly on live leaves in the forest midstory; and S. maculata, C. erythropterum, and M. ptilosus foraged mainly on dead leaves suspended in understory vegetation at significantly different heights. The dead-leaf substrate depends on a rich supply of falling leaves and extensive understory structure, conditions most common in native forest and old industrial plantations, and less so in mature forest, young plantations, and oil palm. Because of the importance of foraging data to understanding and managing biodiversity, we encourage the development of foraging fields in eBird (ebird.org), so that birdwatchers may help collect these relatively rare data. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:39:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-54342 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T10:39:22Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-543422018-03-14T02:27:05Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/ Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia Styring, Alison Robinson Ragai, Roslina Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Sheldon, Frederick Halsey Understanding foraging strategies of birds is essential to understanding mechanisms of their community assembly. To provide such information on a key Southeast Asian rainforest family, the babblers (Timaliidae), we evaluated foraging behavior and abundance in 7 morphologically and behaviorally similar sympatric species (Cyanoderma erythropterum, C. rufifrons, Stachyris maculata, S. nigricollis, S. poliocephala, Macronus ptilosus, and Mixornis gularis) in 5 habitats defined by structural complexity: (1) continuous native rainforest, (2) logged native rainforest fragments, (3) mature industrial tree plantation, (4) young industrial plantation, and (5) oil palm plantation. Enough data were obtained to compare abundance in all 7 species and foraging behavior in 5. All species were common in forest fragments and mature industrial tree plantations and less so in continuous rainforest and young industrial plantations; only M. gularis occurred in oil palm. In terms of foraging, M. gularis was the greatest generalist; C. rufifrons foraged mainly on live leaves in the forest midstory; and S. maculata, C. erythropterum, and M. ptilosus foraged mainly on dead leaves suspended in understory vegetation at significantly different heights. The dead-leaf substrate depends on a rich supply of falling leaves and extensive understory structure, conditions most common in native forest and old industrial plantations, and less so in mature forest, young plantations, and oil palm. Because of the importance of foraging data to understanding and managing biodiversity, we encourage the development of foraging fields in eBird (ebird.org), so that birdwatchers may help collect these relatively rare data. Oxford University Press 2016 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/1/Foraging%20ecology%20and%20occurrence.pdf Styring, Alison Robinson and Ragai, Roslina and Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria and Sheldon, Frederick Halsey (2016) Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia. Current Zoology, 62 (4). pp. 345-355. ISSN 1674-5507; ESSN: 2396-9814 https://academic.oup.com/cz/article/62/4/345/1745751 Brunei; Dead leaves; Logged forest; Plantation; Sabah; Sarawak 10.1093/cz/zow022 |
| spellingShingle | Brunei; Dead leaves; Logged forest; Plantation; Sabah; Sarawak Styring, Alison Robinson Ragai, Roslina Hussin, Mohamed Zakaria Sheldon, Frederick Halsey Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia |
| title | Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia |
| title_full | Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia |
| title_fullStr | Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia |
| title_short | Foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (Timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia |
| title_sort | foraging ecology and occurrence of 7 sympatric babbler species (timaliidae) in the lowland rainforest of borneo and peninsular malaysia |
| topic | Brunei; Dead leaves; Logged forest; Plantation; Sabah; Sarawak |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54342/1/Foraging%20ecology%20and%20occurrence.pdf |