The diet of Monk Parakeet nestlings (Myiopsitta monachus) in an urban area: a study using stable isotopes

Capsule: Previous observations in Barcelona and other cities showed that approximately 40% of the food ingested by adult Monk Parakeets Myiopsitta monachus is of anthropogenic origin. Here we show that this type of food source is also used for feeding nestlings. Aims: To quantify the proportion of a...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Mazzoni, Daniele, Pascual, Jordi, Montalvo, Tomás, González-Solís, J., Senar, Juan Carlos
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2072/527583
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/2072/527583
https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2022.2113856
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ocells
Cotorres
Cotorreta pitgrisa
Nius d'ocells
Espècies invasores
Isòtops estables en ecologia
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Descripción
Sumario:Capsule: Previous observations in Barcelona and other cities showed that approximately 40% of the food ingested by adult Monk Parakeets Myiopsitta monachus is of anthropogenic origin. Here we show that this type of food source is also used for feeding nestlings. Aims: To quantify the proportion of anthropogenic food within the diet of nestling Monk Parakeets, a non-native species in Barcelona. Methods We analysed stable isotopes of 13C and 15N in feathers of Monk Parakeet nestlings collected in the Barcelona city area. We also sampled potential food sources ingested by Monk Parakeets to reconstruct the nestling diet using Bayesian mixing models with MixSIAR. Results: Almost 30% of the nestlings’ diet was composed of anthropogenic food. Conclusions: Since food availability is a major factor regulating population growth, we propose educating the general public to reduce the food supply for the species and ultimately limit its population growth.