Abstract
BackgroundTo understand the dietary composition of the highly aerial swift (Apodidae), ecologists conventionally depend on the morphological identification of prey items from food boluses or stomach contents, but these techniques are often invasive, require expertise in identification, and often cannot produce accurate identifications at the species level.MethodsDNA barcoding was used to analyse the dietary composition of House Swifts (Apus nipalensis) in Hong Kong, China. Faecal samples from five different colonial nest sites were collected between 2019 and 2020. We used universal primers to amplify a region of the cytochrome C oxidase gene from prey DNA in the faecal samples for identification purposes.ResultsTen different orders and 44 families from three different classes of Arthropoda were identified in the collected faecal samples. Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Diptera were the most prevalent groups of prey found in the samples. Differences in the dietary composition of House Swifts during the breeding (April to September) and non-breeding (October to March) season were also found. Hymenoptera, particularly ants (Formicidae), were predominant in the diet during the breeding season, whereas Diptera and Hemiptera were predominant during the non-breeding season.ConclusionThe prey groups identified in this study were similar to those identified in a previous study of the diet of House Swift, which also suggests a possible role of House Swifts in reducing the numbers of local insect pests. This study demonstrates the usefulness of applying molecular tools for the dietary analysis of aerial feeders. Conserving local forested areas may be crucial for the maintenance of House Swift population.
Highlights
To understand the dietary composition of the highly aerial swift (Apodidae), ecologists conventionally depend on the morphological identification of prey items from food boluses or stomach contents, but these techniques are often invasive, require expertise in identification, and often cannot produce accurate identifications at the species level
Prey identification by DNA barcoding Among the 247 samples collected from five different colonial nest sites in Hong Kong between 2019 and 2020, 188 (76%) sequences could be amplified with the MLep F1/Lep R1 primer pair and prey DNA sequences were identified in 163 samples (66%)
In conclusion, this study investigated the diet of House Swifts in Hong Kong using DNA barcoding of faecal samples
Summary
To understand the dietary composition of the highly aerial swift (Apodidae), ecologists conventionally depend on the morphological identification of prey items from food boluses or stomach contents, but these techniques are often invasive, require expertise in identification, and often cannot produce accurate identifications at the species level. House Swifts (Apus nipalensis; Hodgso 1836) are typical swifts in the Apodidae family. They are distributed in Southeast and East Asia, with a westward range reaching as far as Nepal (BirdLife International 2016). Their nests are usually built in close proximity to humans, and. In Hong Kong, a city located on the southeastern coast of China, House Swifts are common year-round residents. They build their nests on buildings in many of the old town areas (Carey et al 2001). 1200 adult House Swifts were found around Hong Kong during this survey
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