Increased house mouse (Mus musculus) abundance in wetlands in response to Typha sp. flowering: implications for understanding wetland occupancy patterns of the eastern grass owl (Tyto longimembris)
Chad T. Beranek
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia, and FAUNA Research Alliance, PO Box 5092, Kahibah, NSW 2290, Australia. Email: chad.beranek@uon.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 67(4) 210-214 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20063
Submitted: 15 July 2020 Accepted: 7 October 2020 Published: 22 October 2020
Abstract
Rises in abundance of a population in response to increased resources is often followed by a rise in predator abundance. The non-threatened eastern barn owl (Tyto alba delicatula) and the threatened eastern grass owl (Tyto longimembris) are predators that may have occupancy patterns linked with prey abundance. It is important to identify the resources that cause increases in primary prey items to further understanding of the ecology of these species. Here I test the hypothesis that grass seeds cause increased abundances of wetland-dwelling house mice (Mus musculus) in austral summer, and identify a wetland monocot that provides a food recourse to achieve this effect, as well as report eastern grass owl and barn owl observations. A 2.6 ha wetland area (on Kooragang Island, New South Wales) was surveyed almost weekly to quantify abundance of prey items from September to April for three years (2016–2019). Typha sp. (a monocot) had flowering periods that coincided with increases in house mouse observations (n = 90 in flowering, n = 2 in non-flowering), where 22% were detected feeding on Typha flowers/seeds or fleeing from flower stalks. Eastern grass owls were only observed during a Typha flowering period (n = 3). These observations confirmed the original hypothesis and led to the formulation of another hypothesis: wetland occupancy by eastern grass owls is influenced by Typha flowering. Future studies should aim to test this hypothesis and identify other wetland plants that provide an important food source for wetland-dwelling rodents.
Keywords: food resources, predator–prey dynamics, resource shifts, Tytonidae.
References
Antos, M. J., and Dann, P. (2014). Are mound springs important refugia for eastern grass owls Tyto longimembris in south-west Queensland? Australian Field Ornithology 31, 208–212.Benjamin, D. J., Berger, J. O., Johannesson, M., Nosek, B. A., Wagenmakers, E. J., Berk, R., Bollen, K. A., Brembs, B., Brown, L., Camerer, C., Cesarini, D., Chambers, C. D., Clyde, M., Cook, T. D., De Boeck, P., Dienes, Z., Dreber, A., Easwaran, K., Efferson, C., Fehr, E., Fidler, F., Field, A. P., Forster, M., George, E. I., Gonzalez, R., Goodman, S., Green, E., Green, D. P., Greenwald, A. G., Hadfield, J. D., Hedges, L. V., Held, L., Hua Ho, T., Hoijtink, H., Hruschka, D. J., Imai, K., Imbens, G., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Jeon, M., Jones, J. H., Kirchler, M., Laibson, D., List, J., Little, R., Lupia, A., Machery, E., Maxwell, S. E., McCarthy, M., Moore, D. A., Morgan, S. L., Munafó, M., Nakagawa, S., Nyhan, B., Parker, T. H., Pericchi, L., Perugini, M., Rouder, J., Rousseau, J., Savalei, V., Schönbrodt, F. D., Sellke, T., Sinclair, B., Tingley, D., Van Zandt, T., Vazire, S., Watts, D. J., Winship, C., Wolpert, R. L., Xie, Y., Young, C., Zinman, J., and Johnson, V. E. (2018). Redefine statistical significance. Nature Human Behaviour 2, 6–10.
| Redefine statistical significance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 30980045PubMed |
Beranek, C. T., Clulow, J., and Mahony, M. (2020). Wetland restoration for the threatened green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea): development of a breeding habitat designed to passively manage chytrid-induced amphibian disease and exotic fish. Natural Areas Journal 40, .
Bomford, M. (1987). Food and reproduction of wild house mice. 1. Diet and breeding seasons in various habitats on irrigated cereal farms in New South Wales. Wildlife Research 14, 183–196.
| Food and reproduction of wild house mice. 1. Diet and breeding seasons in various habitats on irrigated cereal farms in New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Carlson, A. (2004). Food of grass owl. Boobook 22, 29.
Clulow, S., Peters, K., Blundell, A., and Kavanagh, R. (2011). Resource predictability and foraging behaviour facilitate shifts between nomadism and residency in the eastern grass owl. Journal of Zoology 284, 294–299.
| Resource predictability and foraging behaviour facilitate shifts between nomadism and residency in the eastern grass owl.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Debus, S., Olsen, J., and Rose, A. (2004). Diet of the barn owl Tyto alba near Lake Frome in arid South Australia. Corella 28, 40–42.
Debus, S. J., Ley, A. J., and Rose, A. (2008). Further dietary items of the eastern barn owl Tyto javanica in Diamantina National Park, Queensland. Australian Field Ornithology 25, 149–152.
Debus, S. J. S., Ley, A. J., and Rose, A. B. (2010). Diet of the eastern barn owl Tyto (javanica) delicatula in Diamantina National Park, south-western Queensland, in 2008–2009. Australian Field Ornithology 27, 179–183.
Fitzgerald, M., and Thorstensen, C. (1994). A note on the eastern grass owl Tyto longimembris: diet from the northern coast of New South Wales. Corella 18, 87–88.
Fitzsimons, J. A., Marshall, D., and Rose, A. (2008). Diet of an eastern barn owl Tyto javanica on the Patho Plains, northern Victoria. Australian Field Ornithology 25, 145–148.
Gilg, O., Sittler, B., Sabard, B., Hurstel, A., Sané, R., Delattre, P., and Hanski, I. (2006). Functional and numerical responses of four lemming predators in high arctic Greenland. Oikos 113, 193–216.
| Functional and numerical responses of four lemming predators in high arctic Greenland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hanski, I., Hansson, L., and Henttonen, H. (1991). Specialist predators, generalist predators, and the microtine rodent cycle. Journal of Animal Ecology 60, 353–367.
| Specialist predators, generalist predators, and the microtine rodent cycle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Higgins, P. J. (Ed.) (1999) ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Jaensch, R., Pedler, L., Carpenter, G., and Black, A. (2013). Records of the golden-headed cisticola, yellow chat, tawny grassbird and eastern grass owl in the channel country following several wet years. The Sunbird 43, 1–11.
Korpimäki, E. (1992). Diet composition, prey choice, and breeding success of long-eared owls: effects of multiannual fluctuations in food abundance. Canadian Journal of Zoology 70, 2373–2381.
| Diet composition, prey choice, and breeding success of long-eared owls: effects of multiannual fluctuations in food abundance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Krebs, C. J., and Myers, J. H. (1974). Population cycles in small mammals. Advances in Ecological Research 8, 267–399.
| Population cycles in small mammals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Krebs, C. J., Boutin, S., Boonstra, R., Sinclair, A., Smith, J., Dale, M. R., Martin, K., and Turkington, R. (1995). Impact of food and predation on the snowshoe hare cycle. Science 269, 1112–1115.
| Impact of food and predation on the snowshoe hare cycle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17755536PubMed |
Letnic, M., Story, P., Story, G., Field, J., Brown, O., and Dickman, C. R. (2011). Resource pulses, switching trophic control, and the dynamics of small mammal assemblages in arid Australia. Journal of Mammalogy 92, 1210–1222.
| Resource pulses, switching trophic control, and the dynamics of small mammal assemblages in arid Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Olsen, P., and Doran, B. (2002). Climatic modelling of the Australian distribution of the grass owl (Tyto capensis): is there an inland population? Wildlife Research 29, 117–125.
| Climatic modelling of the Australian distribution of the grass owl (Tyto capensis): is there an inland population?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Parker, S. (1977). The distribution and occurrence in South Australia of owls of the genus Tyto. South Australian Ornithologist 27, 207–215.
Pavey, C., Gorman, J., and Heywood, M. (2008). Dietary overlap between the nocturnal letter-winged kite Elanus scriptus and barn owl Tyto alba during a rodent outbreak in arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 72, 2282–2286.
| Dietary overlap between the nocturnal letter-winged kite Elanus scriptus and barn owl Tyto alba during a rodent outbreak in arid Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Read, J. (1995). The ecology of the grass owl Tyto capensis south of Lake Eyre. South Australian Ornithologist 32, 58–59.
Rodgers, A. R., and Lewis, M. C. (1985). Diet selection in Arctic lemmings (Lemmus sibericus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus): food preferences. Canadian Journal of Zoology 63, 1161–1173.
| Diet selection in Arctic lemmings (Lemmus sibericus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus): food preferences.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rodgers, A. R., and Lewis, M. C. (1986). Diet selection in Arctic lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus): forage availability and natural diets. Canadian Journal of Zoology 64, 1684–1689.
| Diet selection in Arctic lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus and Dicrostonyx groenlandicus): forage availability and natural diets.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schulz, M., and Magarey, E. (2010). Diet of an eastern grass owl at Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Sydney. Australian Field Ornithology 27, 177–178.
Ydenberg, R. C. (1987). Nomadic predators and geographical synchrony in microtine population cycles. Oikos 50, 270–272.
| Nomadic predators and geographical synchrony in microtine population cycles.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zeileis, A., Kleiber, C., and Jackman, S. (2008). Regression models for count data in R. Journal of Statistical Software 27, 1–25.
| Regression models for count data in R.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
