Red-winged blackbird and starling feeding responses on corn earworm-infested corn

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

منو

" Red-winged blackbird and starling feeding responses on corn earworm-infested corn "
Okurut-Akol, Flavian H.; Dolbeer, Richard A.; Woronecki, Paul P.

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	942938
Doc. No	:	LA11h7017j
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Okurut-Akol, Flavian H.; Dolbeer, Richard A.; Woronecki, Paul P.
Title & Author	:	Red-winged blackbird and starling feeding responses on corn earworm-infested corn [Article]\ Okurut-Akol, Flavian H.; Dolbeer, Richard A.; Woronecki, Paul P.
Title of Periodical	:	Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference
Volume/ Issue Number	:	14
Date	:	1990
Abstract	:	We examined the feeding behavior of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) on ears of corn (Zea mays) artificially infested with corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea). In 30-minute aviary tests, redwings and starlings directed 39 to 79% more feeding responses to ears of corn with worms than to ears without worms but they damaged the same proportion of ears with and without worms. In 3-hour aviary tests and a field evaluation, birds damaged more ears with worms than without worms. In spite of more feeding responses directed to ears with worms, the overall damage (number of kernels eaten by birds) was similar in both groups of ears in aviary tests. Our findings indicate that earworms can influence feeding behavior by redwings and starlings on ears of corn. The results generally support the hypothesis that by reducing insect populations in cornfields, one can make the fields less attractive to birds. Also, because redwings and starlings actively sought earworms in corn ears, these abundant birds have the potential for reducing populations of these insect pests in cornfields.