Abstract
The Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas is a large (mean mass 150 g) predatory bat of subtropical and tropical Australia. It carries its vertebrate prey to roost caves to be eaten and where remains are dropped and accumulate. Whereas the attack and feeding methods of M. gigas on mammals has been well documented, there is little comparable information relating to avian prey. Using published lists of avian prey and skeletal material collected from a modern Macroderma roost, this study examined the range of bird species eaten by this bat. From the characteristics of these birds, biases towards particular behaviour patterns were identified. Prey masses were used to determine a preferred size range for avian prey. From this information, and assessments of the damage to the bones, inferences were made regarding the capture and processing methods employed by M. gigas for birds. More than 50 species, from a broad taxonomic range, have been recorded as avian prey of the Ghost Bat. These are all essentially diurnal with the...
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