Remote touch prey-detection by Madagascar crested ibises Lophotibis cristata urschi
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Date Issued
2010Subject Terms
BIRDSSENSE ORGANS
VISION
HEARING
OLFACTION
KIWIS
ROBINS
IBISES
CHARADRIIFORMES
APTERYGIFORMES
FORAGING
INTEGUMENT
RESEARCH
PREY
Journal
Journal of Avian BiologyVolume
41Issue
3Start page
350End page
353
Metadata
Show full item recordAlternative link
http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1600-048X.2010.05138.xAbstract
Birds that forage by probing must often rely on sensory systems other than vision to detect their buried prey. Such senses may include hearing (e.g. Australian magpies (Atramidae), American robins (Turdidae)) or chemical senses/olfaction (e.g. kiwi (Apterygidae) and some shorebirds (Scolopacidae)). Probe foraging kiwi and shorebirds are also able to use vibrotactile cues to locate prey buried in the substrate at some distance from their bill‐tips (‘remote touch’). These birds possess an organ consisting of a honey‐comb of sensory pits in bone of the bill‐tips, packed with mechanoreceptive nerve ending (Herbst corpuscles). Such a bill‐tip organ has recently also been described in ibises (Threskiornithinae), but its function not elucidated. We designed a foraging experiment presenting mealworm prey to three captive Madagascar crested ibises Lophotibis cristata urschi under a variety of trial conditions to discover whether they were using remote touch, mediated by their bill‐tip organ; chemosense/olfaction; or hearing to locate buried prey. The ibises were reliant on remote touch for prey detection – the first time this sensory system has been demonstrated for this group of birds. They did not appear to use hearing or chemical senses/olfaction to aid in prey detection.Type
ArticleRights
© 2010 The Authorsae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/j.1600-048X.2010.05138.x
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