Hyenas are generalist predators (and scavengers) with a broad vary of prey species. They’re recognized for searching (or scavenging) bigger mammals akin to antelopes and infrequently feed on smaller mammals and reptiles. Being versatile within the alternative of prey is a method of generalists — and this even extends to small passerine birds, as scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Analysis (Leibniz-IZW) and the College of Ljubljana noticed in Namibia: Noticed hyenas pursued red-billed queleas, picked them from the bottom or the floor of a waterhole and swallowed them entire, at successful charge of roughly one chicken each three minutes. These observations had been described within the scientific journal Meals Webs.
The food regimen breadth of hyenas is matched by few different carnivores. Noticed hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are recognized to hunt quite a lot of bigger mammals akin to zebras and antelopes in southern and japanese Africa — but in addition ostriches, flamingos, reptiles, different carnivores. In addition they scavenge on carcasses from giraffes to elephants and cattle. Till now only a few observations of hyenas feeding on small birds had been reported. “In our paper we describe for the primary time the searching and feeding behaviour of noticed hyenas on red-billed queleas (Quelea quelea), a passerine chicken recognized for its enormous flocks, at a waterhole within the Etosha Nationwide Park in Namibia,” say Rubén Portas and Dr. Miha Krofel, scientists working for the Leibniz-IZW and the College of Ljubljana. On two completely different days they noticed, filmed and photographed noticed hyenas chasing flying birds or choosing them from the bottom or the water floor, and devouring them entire on the waterhole. “We noticed {that a} single hyena can catch on common one chicken each three minutes,” the scientists conclude from their observations.
The scientists may draw some conclusions concerning the feeding behaviour of noticed hyenas from their observations. “It provides to the recognized number of the noticed hyena food regimen and searching ways, since this behaviour has not been documented earlier than,” says Portas. “It confirms their flexibility and talent to use foraging alternatives and acquiring meals from uncommon sources. We are able to additionally present a primary estimate on the seize charges and the meals consumption of hyenas searching passerine birds.” Because the observations had been restricted to a single waterhole, it’s doable that the described foraging tactic was particular to the hyenas from the noticed clan and occurred as an opportunistic response to an considerable meals supply, the authors say. Between Could and August, hundreds of wintering red-billed queleas collect at waterholes in Namibia.
Portas and Krofel recurrently perform area analysis on vultures, lions, leopards and hyenas and examine carnivore-scavenger interactions and knowledge switch within the scavenger group for the GAIA Initiative and InterMuc tasks in Etosha Nationwide Park. The GAIA Initiative is an alliance of analysis institutes, conservation organisations and firms with the intention of making a high-tech early warning system for environmental modifications. In a number of tasks, the GAIA companions conduct wildlife analysis on chosen species, their interplay and the functioning of ecosystems they inhabit. On this foundation, the GAIA scientists and engineers construct and make the most of high-tech interfaces to the senses and intelligence of sentinel animals as a way to detect vital modifications or incidents in ecosystems quick and successfully. To this finish, they develop a brand new era of animal tags geared up with on-board synthetic intelligence (AI), a digicam, energy-efficient electronics and satellite-based communication know-how.
 with a broad range of prey species. They are known for hunting (or scavenging) larger mammals such as antelopes and occasionally feed on smaller mammals and reptiles. Being flexible in the choice of prey is a strategy of generalists -- and this even extends to small passerine birds, as scientists observed in Namibia: Spotted hyenas pursued red-billed queleas, picked them from the ground or the surface of a waterhole and swallowed them whole, at a success rate of approximately one bird every three minutes.){kind=link}