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waders and their estuarine food supplies - Vlaams Instituut voor de ...

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Predicted 'passive size selection'<br />

If Oystercatchers locale prey beneath the surface of ihe<br />

substrate by r<strong>and</strong>omly probing, the probability of a<br />

prey being encountered can he calculated Irom prey<br />

<strong>de</strong>nsity provi<strong>de</strong>d that two other factors are also taken<br />

into account. Firstly, a proportion of the prey mav live<br />

out of reach of the bill. Secondly, the probability that a<br />

prey is actually nil by ihe bill lip is a function of its<br />

size, or more precisely, the surface area the prey presents<br />

from above: this is referred to here as the 'touch<br />

area'. The observed si/e selection may only be compared<br />

with the predictions of passive si/e selection<br />

when the calculated encounter rate with prey of different<br />

si/e classes takes both these consi<strong>de</strong>rations into account<br />

(Hulscher 1982).<br />

The proportion of prey that lie buried beyond the<br />

ieach of the bill <strong>de</strong>pends on bill length <strong>and</strong> on the<br />

<strong>de</strong>pth to which Oystercatchers insert it. Bill length in<br />

Oystercatchers varies between 6.5 <strong>and</strong> 9 cm. When<br />

Oystercatchers extract bivalves from the substrate.<br />

they can probe so <strong>de</strong>eply that the base of the bill is<br />

pushed 0.5 cm below the surface. Even then, large Mya<br />

live out of reach (Zwarts & Wanink 1984, 1989) <strong>and</strong><br />

the majority of large Scrobicularia are also inaccessible,<br />

at least during ihe winter (Zwarts & Wanink<br />

1989). But. in fact, Oystercatchers do not usually<br />

probe to the maximum <strong>de</strong>pth. The precise probing<br />

<strong>de</strong>pth differs between prey species, but is. on average.<br />

always less than ihe bill lengih. Oystercatchers probe<br />

to a mean <strong>de</strong>pth of 4 cm when searching for <strong>de</strong>ep-living<br />

Scrobicularia (Wanink & Zwarts 1985), 3 to4cm<br />

when feeding on the more shallow-living Macoma<br />

PREY SIZE SELECTION AND INTAKE RATE<br />

(Hulscher 1982). <strong>and</strong> only 0 to 3 cm when taking<br />

Cockles which are found very near to the surface<br />

(Hulscher 1976). The fractions of each si/e class oi<br />

each clam species liv ing in the upper 4. 6 <strong>and</strong> 8 cm of<br />

the substrate are shown for the w inter <strong>and</strong> summer period<br />

in Fig. 1. The dala show, for example, thai<br />

whereas most Macoma are accessible lo Oystercatchers<br />

in summer, less than half are in winter. As Cockles<br />

live in ihe upper 4 cm of the substrate, with the majority<br />

being in the upper 1 or 2 cm. ihey are within reach<br />

of the Oysiercatcher's bill throughout the year.<br />

For Oystercatchers probing vertically downwards,<br />

the 'touch area" ol a bivalve is equivalent to its surface<br />

area, measured in the horizontal plane (Hulscher<br />

1982). This sin lace area has been <strong>de</strong>termined by photographing<br />

from above the bivalve in iis natural position<br />

wilh the substrate removed (Hulscher 1982) or by<br />

pressing the bivalve vertically into mo<strong>de</strong>lling clav<br />

i Wanink & Zwarts [985, ZwaitS & Blomert 1992).<br />

The 'touch area' of all bivalve species is elliptical, with<br />

the Cockle being the most circular <strong>and</strong> Scrobicularia<br />

the mosi slen<strong>de</strong>r, with Macoma <strong>and</strong> Mya lying between.<br />

The first estimates of the 'touch area" in Cockles<br />

(Hulscher 1976) <strong>and</strong> Scrobicularia (Wanink &<br />

Zwarts 1985) were given as a function of the squared<br />

lengih but. when calculated over a larger range of si/e<br />

classes, a better lit was obtained with exponents<br />

slightly larger than 2. since small shells are paiticularlj<br />

slen<strong>de</strong>r (Zwarts & Blomert 1992). The <strong>de</strong>tails of this<br />

exponential increase of 'touch area' with shell si/e are<br />

given in Table I.<br />

The real, or 'effective', touch area for a probing<br />

Tabic I. The 'Much area' of the shell imm-'i as a function oi us length i mini. The "touch area' is <strong>de</strong>fined as the snftceofa bivalve in us natural<br />

position, measured in a horizontal plane: (iron* Zwarts .V. Blomert (1992). The corresponding surface area of Ihe effective touch area' is<br />

equivalent Io the surface area lset to a circle: nr) enlarge! vmh the surface area of the bill lip itself (I I mm x I 4 nun = 15.4 mm': HuKchei<br />

1982) <strong>and</strong> the combined ciicct ot the surface areas of hill tip <strong>and</strong> bivalve (11 x 2n+ 1.4 x 2jt=24.8*1 ram 2 ); fromllabekotteil l 'X7)<strong>and</strong>/u.Mis<br />

& Blomert 11992). As an example. Ihc surface areas ol the touch area' <strong>and</strong> 'effective touch area' (mm 1 ) nl two si/e classes i II) <strong>and</strong> 25 nun<br />

long) are given.<br />

Spei us Equation Touch area<br />

It) mm 25 nun<br />

Macoma balthica<br />

Si mhii ularia plana<br />

Msu arenaria<br />

Cerasto<strong>de</strong>rma edule<br />

0.151 mm-' 1 "<br />

I) 154 mm '"<br />

(I.i:5iiim" ' !<br />

0.340 mm-" ;<br />

156<br />

22<br />

19<br />

14<br />

-111<br />

87<br />

129<br />

89<br />

266<br />

t touch area<br />

10 mm 25 "»'i<br />

158<br />

80<br />

66<br />

128<br />

287<br />

221<br />

494

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