6533b7d4fe1ef96bd1261cb1
RESEARCH PRODUCT
UV reflecting vole scent marks attract a passerine, the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor
Remo ProbstJussi ViitalaMihaela Pavlicevsubject
biologyEcologybiology.organism_classificationPasserinePredatory behaviorShrikebiology.animalLaniusAnimal Science and ZoologyVoleLaboratory experimentMicrotusUltraviolet radiationEcology Evolution Behavior and Systematicsdescription
Diurnal raptors have been shown to use ultraviolet vision and UV-reflecting vole scent marks to find suitable hunting areas. We studied if a passerine species, the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor that uses voles as its primary food, may also detect prey-patches in the same way. We conducted a laboratory experiment with ten shrikes. Each individual shrike had four options to choose from: (1) scent marks with UV light, (2) scent marks without UV light, (3) clean arena with UV light, and (4) clean arena without UV light. The birds preferred the scent-marked arena with UV light as measured by the number of scans and the time spent above it. Therefore, we suggest that great grey shrike probably uses UV cues to gain information on vole locations and abundance.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-12-01 | Journal of Avian Biology |