Indirect cannibalism by crèche-aged American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) chicks
Canadian Field-Naturalist
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Abstract
At nesting colonies of American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), many chicks die from siblicide, severe weather, and disease; this results in carcasses available for scavenging by conspecifics (i.e., indirect cannibalism). Indirect cannibalism has not been reported previously for this species. We describe five cases of crèche-aged American White Pelican chicks consuming or attempting to consume dead younger chicks at two nesting colonies in the northern plains of North America. Cannibalism in the American White Pelican appears to be rare and likely plays no role in the species’ population ecology or dynamics; however, it might be an important survival strategy of individual chicks when food resources are limited.
Suggested Citation
Bartos, A.J., Sovada, M.A., Igl, L.D., Pietz, P., 2013, Indirect cannibalism by crèche-aged American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) chicks: Canadian Field-Naturalist, v. 127, no. 1, p. 72-75, https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v127i1.1413.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Indirect cannibalism by crèche-aged American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) chicks |
| Series title | Canadian Field-Naturalist |
| DOI | 10.22621/cfn.v127i1.1413 |
| Volume | 127 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication Date | July 15, 2013 |
| Year Published | 2013 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Canadian Field-Naturalists' Club |
| Contributing office(s) | Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | 72 |
| Last page | 75 |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota;South Dakota |
| Other Geospatial | Bitter Lake;Chase Lake |