dc.contributor.author |
Koehler, Angela
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dc.contributor.author |
Verburgt, Luke
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dc.contributor.author |
Nicolson, Sue W.
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dc.date.accessioned |
2009-02-13T06:45:19Z |
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dc.date.available |
2009-02-13T06:45:19Z |
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dc.date.issued |
2008 |
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dc.description.abstract |
A positive relationship between feeding duration and meal size of avian nectarivores has often been assumed in earlier studies.
We investigated whether feeding duration can be used as a surrogate for the amount of sugar solution ingested by whitebellied
sunbirds, Cinnyris (Nectarinia) talatala. Feeding durations of sunbirds consuming three sucrose concentrations (10%, 20%, and 40% w/w) were measured using an infrared
photodetection system, and the amounts consumed were recorded simultaneously by weighing the feeder throughout the
experiment. For all three diet concentrations, a positive relationship
was found between the time spent feeding per 30 min and the mass consumed. Therefore, feeding duration is demonstrated to be an index of the amount ingested on a particular
sugar concentration. The rate of ingestion, however, depended on the sugar concentration, with the highest rate at the lowest concentration of 10% and the lowest rate at the 40% concentration. Less total time was spent feeding on the 20% solution
than on the 10% solution, but time increased on the 40% diet because of viscosity effects. There appeared to be a weak relationship between feeding patterns and sex, but this was not significant, probably because of interindividual variation. |
en |
dc.identifier.citation |
Kohler, A, Verburgt , L & Nicolson, SW 2008, ‘Nectar intake of White-Bellied Sunbirds (Cinnyris talatala) : can meal size be inferred from feeding duration?’, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, vol. 81, no. 5, pp. 682-687. [http://0- www.journals.uchigaco.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/588174] |
en |
dc.identifier.issn |
1522-2152 |
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dc.identifier.other |
10.1086/588174 |
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dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/8905 |
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dc.language.iso |
en |
en |
dc.publisher |
University of Chicago Press |
en |
dc.rights |
University of Chicago Press |
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dc.subject |
Feeding |
en |
dc.subject |
Meal size |
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dc.subject |
Sunbirds |
en |
dc.subject |
Cinnyris talatala |
en |
dc.subject.lcsh |
Sunbirds -- Food |
en |
dc.title |
Nectar intake of White-Bellied Sunbirds (Cinnyris talatala) : can meal size be inferred from feeding duration? |
en |
dc.type |
Article |
en |