Winter food habits of ravens on the Arctic Slope of Alaska

ABSTRACT. Analysis of 684 pellets from a winter roost of ravens (Corvus coraw) at Umiat, Alaska, indicated that during the winters of 1966 and 1967 ravens obtained half of their energy income through predation and half through scavenging. Micro-tine rodents provided the bulk of the predatory half of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stanley A. Temple, Ha Bobbrmehhbix, Mectetahes Tyhaphi
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1974
Subjects:
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.546.6183
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic27-1-41.pdf
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Summary:ABSTRACT. Analysis of 684 pellets from a winter roost of ravens (Corvus coraw) at Umiat, Alaska, indicated that during the winters of 1966 and 1967 ravens obtained half of their energy income through predation and half through scavenging. Micro-tine rodents provided the bulk of the predatory half of the raven’s diet, whereas carcasses of caribou (Rangifer arcticus) and ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.) were the items most often scavenged. The relative abundance of prey species in pellets suggests that ravens spent most of their time hunting in upland habitats on the tundra. lUbUM6. Habitudes alimentaires hivernales des corbeaux sur le versant arctique de l’Alaska. L‘analyse de 684 boulettes d’un perchoir de corbeaux (Corvus corar) à Umiat, Alaska, indique qu’au cours des hivers de 1966 et 1967, les corbeaux obte-naient la moitié de leur énergie par la prédation et la moitié par la vidange. Les petits rongeurs fournissaient le gros de la moitié “prédatoire ” du régime du corbeau alors que l e s carcasses de caribous (Rangifer arcfieus) et de lagopèdes (Lagopus spp.) étaient les éléments les plus souvent vidangés. L‘abondance relative des différentes esphces de proies dans les boulettes suggère que les corbeaux passent la plus grande partie de leur temps de chasse dans des habitats de hautes-terres sur la toundra. PE3IOME. UN MUÜ patpon numanus e o p o m Apxmuuecxozo CxJcona A J Z R ~. corax) B pafioae YmaTa (AnncKa), no~asan, TO SUMOB 1966 H 1967 m. IIOJIOBHW