Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest
Invasive rats (Rattus spp.) are known to have pervasive impacts on island birds, particularly on their nesting success. To conserve or restore bird populations, numerous invasive rat control or eradication projects are undertaken on islands worldwide. However, such projects represent a huge investme...
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ftird:oai:ird.fr:fdi:010071393 2024-09-09T20:05:03+00:00 Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest Duron, Q. Bourguet, E. De Meringo, H. Millon, A. /Vidal, Eric NOUVELLE CALEDONIE 2017 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010071393 EN eng https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010071393 oai:ird.fr:fdi:010071393 Duron Q., Bourguet E., De Meringo H., Millon A., Vidal Eric. Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest. 2017, 63 (6), p. 583-590 bird-nest predation forest birds invasive rodents island conservation rat management text 2017 ftird 2024-08-15T05:57:41Z Invasive rats (Rattus spp.) are known to have pervasive impacts on island birds, particularly on their nesting success. To conserve or restore bird populations, numerous invasive rat control or eradication projects are undertaken on islands worldwide. However, such projects represent a huge investment and the decision-making process requires proper assessment of rat impacts. Here, we assessed the influence of two sympatric invasive rats (Rattus rattus and R. exulans) on native bird eggs in a New Caledonian rainforest, using artificial bird-nest monitoring. A total of 178 artificial nests containing two eggs of three different sizes were placed either on the ground or 1.5 m high and monitored at the start of the birds' breeding season. Overall, 12.4% of the nests were depredated during the first 7 days. At site 1, where nests were monitored during 16 days, 41.8% of the nests were depredated. The main predator was the native crow Corvus moneduloides, responsible for 62.9% of the overall predation events. Rats were responsible for only 22.9% of the events, and ate only small and medium eggs at both heights. Our experiment suggests that in New Caledonia, predation pressure by rats strengthens overall bird-nest predation, adding to that by native predators. Experimental rat control operations may allow reduced predation pressure on nests as well as the recording of biodiversity responses after rat population reduction. Text Rattus rattus IRD (Institute de recherche pour le développement): Horizon Pacific |
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IRD (Institute de recherche pour le développement): Horizon |
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English |
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bird-nest predation forest birds invasive rodents island conservation rat management |
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bird-nest predation forest birds invasive rodents island conservation rat management Duron, Q. Bourguet, E. De Meringo, H. Millon, A. /Vidal, Eric Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest |
topic_facet |
bird-nest predation forest birds invasive rodents island conservation rat management |
description |
Invasive rats (Rattus spp.) are known to have pervasive impacts on island birds, particularly on their nesting success. To conserve or restore bird populations, numerous invasive rat control or eradication projects are undertaken on islands worldwide. However, such projects represent a huge investment and the decision-making process requires proper assessment of rat impacts. Here, we assessed the influence of two sympatric invasive rats (Rattus rattus and R. exulans) on native bird eggs in a New Caledonian rainforest, using artificial bird-nest monitoring. A total of 178 artificial nests containing two eggs of three different sizes were placed either on the ground or 1.5 m high and monitored at the start of the birds' breeding season. Overall, 12.4% of the nests were depredated during the first 7 days. At site 1, where nests were monitored during 16 days, 41.8% of the nests were depredated. The main predator was the native crow Corvus moneduloides, responsible for 62.9% of the overall predation events. Rats were responsible for only 22.9% of the events, and ate only small and medium eggs at both heights. Our experiment suggests that in New Caledonia, predation pressure by rats strengthens overall bird-nest predation, adding to that by native predators. Experimental rat control operations may allow reduced predation pressure on nests as well as the recording of biodiversity responses after rat population reduction. |
format |
Text |
author |
Duron, Q. Bourguet, E. De Meringo, H. Millon, A. /Vidal, Eric |
author_facet |
Duron, Q. Bourguet, E. De Meringo, H. Millon, A. /Vidal, Eric |
author_sort |
Duron, Q. |
title |
Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest |
title_short |
Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest |
title_full |
Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest |
title_fullStr |
Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest |
title_full_unstemmed |
Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest |
title_sort |
invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a south pacific island rainforest |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010071393 |
op_coverage |
NOUVELLE CALEDONIE |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_relation |
https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010071393 oai:ird.fr:fdi:010071393 Duron Q., Bourguet E., De Meringo H., Millon A., Vidal Eric. Invasive rats strengthen predation pressure on bird eggs in a South Pacific island rainforest. 2017, 63 (6), p. 583-590 |
_version_ |
1809937352009711616 |