Abstract
On August of 2016, almost an entire herd (n = 323) of wild tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) was killed by lightning on Hardangervidda in southern Norway. While conducting fieldwork for another study in 2017, we opportunistically registered the occurrence and behaviour of birds on carcasses from this mass die-off. Several passerine species other than corvids were observed actively foraging on arthropods, such as blowfly (Calliphoridae sp.) adults and larvae, which are typically associated with carcass decomposition. We quantified observations of those birds, and described their foraging behaviour at the carcass site. In decreasing order of abundance, five passerine species were observed taking arthropods at the site: Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis), Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe), Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica,), and Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus). Systematic surveys of passerines utilizing carcass sites would further our understanding of how such resources may affect behaviour and life history of various bird species.
Highlights
Carcasses of large terrestrial animals are ephemeral resource pulses that affect all trophic levels in the food chain, including soil microbiota, vegetation, invertebrates, and vertebrates (Barton et al 2013, Benbow et al 2019)
We did not quantify the abundance of the Ring Ouzel Turdus orquatus, though present at and around the site, as we were not able to discern whether or not they were foraging on arthropods
The Meadow Pipit was the most frequently observed bird (51.5% of all individuals) of the five species foraging on arthropods at the carcass site, with up to 80 individuals occurring at once and in close proximity to one another (< 1 m)
Summary
Carcasses of large terrestrial animals are ephemeral resource pulses that affect all trophic levels in the food chain, including soil microbiota, vegetation, invertebrates, and vertebrates (Barton et al 2013, Benbow et al 2019). Many effects emerge at the local scale (e.g. altered soil microbiota) (Crippen et al 2015), whereas others may affect entire landscapes through nutrient redistribution by scavengers (Benbow et al 2015, DeVault et al 2003) or through directed endozoochory towards carcass sites. The latter implies that animals disperse plant seeds through ingestion (endozoochory) in disproportionate numbers towards microsites that are ideal for germination and establishment (Wenny & Levey 1998). Scavengers and invertebrates typically compete for carcass biomass (Beasley et al 2015), whereas insect life at the carcasses facilitates high densities of insectivores (Moreno-Opo & Margalida 2013)
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