Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird
Abstract Avian diet can be affected by site‐specific variables, such as habitat, as well as intrinsic factors such as sex. This can lead to dietary niche separation, which reduces competition between individuals, as well as impacting how well avian species can adapt to environmental variation. Estim...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10089 |
| _version_ | 1797776529854300160 |
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| author | Ewan H. Stenhouse Paul Bellamy Will Kirby Ian P. Vaughan Lorna E. Drake Angela Marchbank Trudy Workman William O. C. Symondson Pablo Orozco‐terWengel |
| author_facet | Ewan H. Stenhouse Paul Bellamy Will Kirby Ian P. Vaughan Lorna E. Drake Angela Marchbank Trudy Workman William O. C. Symondson Pablo Orozco‐terWengel |
| author_sort | Ewan H. Stenhouse |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Avian diet can be affected by site‐specific variables, such as habitat, as well as intrinsic factors such as sex. This can lead to dietary niche separation, which reduces competition between individuals, as well as impacting how well avian species can adapt to environmental variation. Estimating dietary niche separation is challenging, due largely to difficulties in accurately identifying food taxa consumed. Consequently, there is limited knowledge of the diets of woodland bird species, many of which are undergoing serious population declines. Here, we show the effectiveness of multi‐marker fecal metabarcoding to provide in‐depth dietary analysis of a declining passerine in the UK, the Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes). We collected fecal samples from (n = 262) UK Hawfinches prior to, and during, the breeding seasons in 2016–2019. We detected 49 and 90 plant and invertebrate taxa, respectively. We found Hawfinch diet varied spatially, as well as between sexes, indicating broad dietary plasticity and the ability of Hawfinches to utilize multiple resources within their foraging environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:52:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b5d551ce680641c4bff1665be6c4f59b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:52:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5d551ce680641c4bff1665be6c4f59b2023-07-20T08:50:55ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-05-01135n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10089Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland birdEwan H. Stenhouse0Paul Bellamy1Will Kirby2Ian P. Vaughan3Lorna E. Drake4Angela Marchbank5Trudy Workman6William O. C. Symondson7Pablo Orozco‐terWengel8School of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKRSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge Sandy UKRSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge Sandy UKSchool of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKSchool of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKSchool of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKSchool of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKSchool of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKSchool of Biosciences Cardiff University Cardiff UKAbstract Avian diet can be affected by site‐specific variables, such as habitat, as well as intrinsic factors such as sex. This can lead to dietary niche separation, which reduces competition between individuals, as well as impacting how well avian species can adapt to environmental variation. Estimating dietary niche separation is challenging, due largely to difficulties in accurately identifying food taxa consumed. Consequently, there is limited knowledge of the diets of woodland bird species, many of which are undergoing serious population declines. Here, we show the effectiveness of multi‐marker fecal metabarcoding to provide in‐depth dietary analysis of a declining passerine in the UK, the Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes). We collected fecal samples from (n = 262) UK Hawfinches prior to, and during, the breeding seasons in 2016–2019. We detected 49 and 90 plant and invertebrate taxa, respectively. We found Hawfinch diet varied spatially, as well as between sexes, indicating broad dietary plasticity and the ability of Hawfinches to utilize multiple resources within their foraging environments.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10089Coccothraustes coccothraustesdietHawfinchmetabarcodingomnivory |
| spellingShingle | Ewan H. Stenhouse Paul Bellamy Will Kirby Ian P. Vaughan Lorna E. Drake Angela Marchbank Trudy Workman William O. C. Symondson Pablo Orozco‐terWengel Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird Ecology and Evolution Coccothraustes coccothraustes diet Hawfinch metabarcoding omnivory |
| title | Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird |
| title_full | Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird |
| title_fullStr | Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird |
| title_short | Multi‐marker DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird |
| title_sort | multi marker dna metabarcoding reveals spatial and sexual variation in the diet of a scarce woodland bird |
| topic | Coccothraustes coccothraustes diet Hawfinch metabarcoding omnivory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10089 |
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