PARTITIONING OF FEEDING HABITATS BY WHITEFRONTED PLOVERS CHARADRIUS MARGINATVS AT A DUNE/BEACH INTERFACE

Summary

Van Der Merwe, D., McLachlan A. & De Ruyck A. M. C. 1992. Partitioning of feeding habitats by Whitefronted Plovers Charadrius marginatus at a dune/beach interface. Ostrich 63:49-57.

The Whitefronted Plover Charadrius marginatus, a resident of the Alexandria dunefield, moves between the beach and dunes to feed. It nests in slacks, one of the many habitats in the dunefield. The main prey items are insects in the dunes and bivalve siphons on the beach. Feeding activity on the beach is determined by the time of day, tide and wind. At wind speeds greater than 10,^s-1 no feeding takes place in the intertidal zone. Below 10m.s⁻¹ wind speed, feeding is influenced primarily by the time of day and secondarily by the state of the tide. Although feeding takes place at night, this occurs mainly during good light conditions. Feeding activity intensifies at dawn, irrespective of the state of the tide, 61% of total feeding effort occurring on the beach and 39% in the dunes.