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USGS · 5221830

Late summer food habits of three heron species in northeastern Louisiana

K. R. Niethammer·M.S. Kaiser
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Abstract

Yellow-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax violaceus), Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea), and Green-backed Herons (Butorides striatus) collected in northeastern Louisiana from July-September 1980 exhibited different diets. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons fed mostly on crayfish (74% by weight) and Green-backed Herons fed primarily on fish (93% by weight). The diet of Little Blue Herons was diverse, including fish (61%), crustaceans (11%), insects (13%), and arachnids (14%). Yellow-crowned Night-Herons captured larger prey than did either of the smaller herons. Green-backed Herons took larger prey and a greater range of prey sizes than did the larger Little Blue Herons.

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BibTeXRIS

K. R. Niethammer, M.S. Kaiser. 1983. Late summer food habits of three heron species in northeastern Louisiana. https://doi.org/10.2307/1520982

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