PREFERENTIAL FORAGING BY HONEYEATERS IN THE JARRAH FOREST OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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Abstract
Collins, B.G. & Grey, J. 1988. Preferential foraging by honeyeaters in the jarrah forest of Western Australia. Ostrich suppl. 14:39-47. Individual Dryandra sessilis plants are patchily distributed in jarrah forest habitats, sometimes occurring in dense clumps but often widely spaced. These plants can differ considerably in terms of their canopy volumes and the number of nectar-producing inflorescences that they bear. Honeyeaters forage preferentially at D. sessilis inflorescences, selecting those that are youngest and produce the most nectar. The frequency with which honeyeaters visit particular plants is significantly and positively correlated with the number of productive inflorescences present, birds visiting more inflorescences, spending more time foraging for nectar and making a greater number of probes per inflorescence at plants with greater numbers of inflorescences. By behaving in this manner, birds enhance their foraging efficiencies. Birds identify appropriate plants and inflorescences by means of the number of flowers open and colour cues.