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Sammanfattning

Insectivorous bats consume a large variety of food items. Previous observations of feathers found in feces led to the hypothesis that the birdlike noctule (Nyctalus aviator, Vespertilionidae) could prey on birds. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed fecal samples from six species (Barbastella pacifica, Murina hilgendorfi, Myotis frater, N. aviator, Plecotus sacrimontis, and Vespertilio sinensis) collected from central Hokkaido, Japan, via DNA barcoding. We identified the presence of the Middendorff's grasshopper warbler (Locustella ochotensis) in the diet of a pregnant individual of N. aviator. All the other samples proved negative regarding bird prey DNA. This is the first time that the consumption of a bird by N. aviator is confirmed with molecular evidence. Our findings add invaluable insight into the diet of this bat and its potentially opportunistic foraging behavior.

Nyckelord

Nyctalus aviator; Locustella ochotensis; Bird prey; DNA barcoding; Sanger sequencing

Publicerad i

Acta ethologica
2019, volym: 22, nummer: 3, sidor: 223-226
Utgivare: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

SLU författare

UKÄ forskningsämne

Zoologi
Etologi

Publikationens identifierare

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-019-00319-5

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/102620