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Ecological and environmental factors affecting the foraging activity of the White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis (Hume, 1878) in Bhutan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 January 2021

PEMA KHANDU Open the ORCID record for PEMA KHANDU [Opens in a new window] ,
GEORGE A. GALE  and
SARA BUMRUNGSRI
PEMA KHANDU
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla90110, Thailand. Department of Science, Wangbama Central School, Ministry of Education, Genekha, Thimphu11001, Bhutan.
GEORGE A. GALE
Affiliation:
Conservation Ecology Program, School of Bioresources & Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi, Bangkok10150, Thailand.
SARA BUMRUNGSRI*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla90110, Thailand.
*
*Author for correspondence; e-mail: sara.b@psu.ac.th
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Summary

White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis (WBH) is critically endangered, but we lack data on many aspects of its basic ecology and threats to the species are not clearly understood. The goal of this study was to analyse WBH foraging microhabitat selection, foraging behaviour, and prey preferences in two river basins (Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu) in Bhutan which are likely home to one of the largest remaining populations of WBH. We also explored the relationship between the relative abundance of the WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort within four foraging river microhabitats (pool, pond, riffle and run). Prey species were sampled in 13 different 100-m thalweg lengths of the rivers using cast nets and electrofishing gear. Riffles and pools were the most commonly used microhabitats; relative abundance was the highest in riffles. The relative abundance of WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort (CPUE) also showed a weak but significant positive correlation (rs = 0.22). The highest biomass CPUE was observed in riffles while the lowest was found in the ponds. From the 97 prey items caught by the WBH, 95% of the prey were fish. The WBH mainly exploited three genera of fish (Garra, Salmo, and Schizothorax) of which Schizothorax (64%) was the most frequently consumed. This study provides evidence in support of further protection of critical riverine habitat and fish resources for this heron. Regular monitoring of sand and gravel mining, curbing illegal fishing, habitat restoration/mitigation, and developing sustainable alternatives for local people should be urgently implemented by the government and other relevant agencies. Further study is also required for understanding the seasonal variation and abundance of its prey species in their prime habitats along the Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu basins.

Keywords

dietforaging ecologyWhite-bellied HeronArdea insignisSchizothoraxBhutan
Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , September 2021 , pp. 420 - 437
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of BirdLife International

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