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A comparison of three methods to investigate the diet of breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan

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Book cover Limnology and Aquatic Birds

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 189))

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Abstract

In order to understand the role of waterbirds in aquatic food webs it is important to first get an accurate depiction of their diet. Three methods of dietary assessment (pellets, regurgitate and stomach contents) are compared here for breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) of the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan. By numerical frequency (percent number), each method yielded different depictions of the diet. However, in terms of presence and absence (percent frequency) of possible prey types, stomach content data did agree with both pellets and regurgitate data. However, differences were noted between regurgitate and pellets. In terms of biomass measured (percent biomass) in regurgitate and stomachs, data gathered agreed. In essence, pellets underestimate the importance of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and overestimate the importance of crayfish (Orconectes sp.) in the diet when compared to both regurgitate and stomach analysis. The non-lethal method of regurgitate collection and analysis appears most practical in assessing cormorant diet in this system. In combination with information on avian foraging ecology and prey populations, these data may be used to investigate the relationships among cormorants and their prey, and lead to a better understanding of Great Lake food web dynamics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

    Nancy E. Seefelt & James C. Gillingham

  2. Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Nancy E. Seefelt

Authors
  1. Nancy E. Seefelt
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  2. James C. Gillingham
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, P.O. Box 6227, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1G6, Canada

    Alan R. Hanson

  2. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 45 Alderney Drive, 7th Floor-Queen Square, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2Y 4N6, Canada

    Joseph J. Kerekes

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Seefelt, N.E., Gillingham, J.C. (2006). A comparison of three methods to investigate the diet of breeding double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Beaver Archipelago, northern Lake Michigan. In: Hanson, A.R., Kerekes, J.J. (eds) Limnology and Aquatic Birds. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 189. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5556-0_6

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