Foraging ecology of the California gnatcatcher deduced from fecal samples

Abstract

The California gnatcatcher is a threatened species essentially restricted to coastal sage scrub habitat in southern California. Its distribution and population dynamics have been studied intensely, but little is known about its diet. We identified arthropod fragments in 33 fecal samples of the California gnatcatcher to gain insight into its foraging ecology and diet. Fecal samples were collected from adult males, adult females, fledglings, and nestlings. Leaf- and planthoppers (Homoptera) and spiders (Araneae) predominated numerically in samples. Spider prey was most diverse, with eight families represented. True bugs (Hemiptera) and wasps, bees, and ants (Hymenoptera) were only minor components of the gnatcatcher diet. Gnatcatcher adults selected prey to feed their young that was larger than expected given the distribution of arthropod size available in their environment, and chicks were provisioned with larger prey items and significantly more grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera) and spiders than adults consumed themselves. Both adults and young consumed more sessile than active prey. Further studies are needed to determine whether arthropods sampled in coastal sage scrub that are common in fecal samples are good indicators of California gnatcatcher habitat.