Winter Habitat Selection and Foraging Behaviour in Sympatric Corvids

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Abstract
The winter foraging ecology and habitat use of 4 sympatric corvid species on agricultural land is described. Overlap in habitat use was mostly high (range = 0.50-0.81). Most individuals of each species occurred on grassland, especially permanent pasture where invertebrate populations were highest. Overlap in intake rates of different prey types and sizes from above or beneath the soil surface and from animal dung or surface debris was low (range = 0.15-0.41), except between jackdaws and magpies (0.72). Discriminant analysis indicated significant differences in foraging behavior between species, but magpies retained little unique niche space.