The Impact of Foraging Meadowlarks, Sturnella neglecta, on the Degradation of Cattle Dung Pads

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Abstract
In 110 h of observations over 4 yr only the western meadowlark (S. neglecta) was seen foraging in cattle dung pads. Field examination of dung pads with and without undigested barley seeds (the former from cattle provided a supplemental autumn-winter ration of cottonseed meal and barley), and gizzards of 12 meadowlarks killed during winter, showed that they were foraging in pads for barley seeds, not insects. This appears to be the 1st report of a bird species utilizing cattle dung pads in pastures as an autumn-winter food source for seeds. The meadowlarks tore apart dung pads in open rangeland pastures and pastures with 8-10 trees/ha. Meadowlarks were not present in natural woodland ranges (100-175 trees/ha) and dung pads were were not disrupted by foraging birds. Autumn-winter flocks of meadowlarks fed from dung pads containing barley seeds from late Oct. until early March, with maximum foraging in Dec. and Jan. In pastures where meadowlarks occurred, about 20% of the dung pads with seeds were pecked apart in Oct. and March and 67-74% were pecked apart during Dec. and Jan. In tearing apart cattle dung pads in search for barley seeds the meadowlark caused pads to degrade at least 1 yr earlier than pads not pecked apart. After 12-15 mo., 90-100% of the ground surface originally covered by the pad pecked apart by meadowlarks was covered with newly sprouted vegetation. A dried-out, intact dung pad inhibited the vegetation growth for 2-3 growing seasons. Wind, winter rains and sprouting vegetation in spring accelerated the degradation of cattle dung pads torn apart by meadowlarks.

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