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<p>Non-migratory avian predators in temperate zones employ sophisticated survival strategies during winter, when low temperatures and variable prey availability pose significant challenges. This study investigates the winter prey impalement behavior of the Iberian Grey Shrike (<i>Lanius meridionalis</i>) in southern France. Over a two-year period, 634 impaled prey items were documented, with the diet predominately consisting of energetically rich Hymenoptera, particularly <i>Bombus terrestris</i>, which accounted for 83% of identified prey. Secondary prey categories included Orthoptera (6.9%) and Coleoptera (4.8%), while vertebrates, though minimally represented, contributed 17% to the total biomass, reflecting the species’ opportunistic feeding behavior. Observations provided clear evidence for the dual function of impalement behavior in both foraging and territorial signaling. Impalements were primarily recorded on native thorny shrubs, such as <i>Crataegus oxyacantha</i> (45.2%) and <i>Ulmus procera</i> (21.3%), with occasional use of barbed wire in anthropogenically modified landscapes like grazing areas. Statistical analyses revealed a nuanced relationship between wind speed, temperature, and impalement probability. At lower maximum temperatures (e.g., 9.5&#xa0;°C), impalement probability increased with rising wind speeds, possibly due to enhanced predator–prey encounter rates facilitated by wind-induced insect movement. In contrast, at higher maximum temperatures (e.g., 12.1&#xa0;°C and 13.5&#xa0;°C), impalement probability decreased with increasing wind speeds, reflecting potential shifts in foraging strategy toward direct prey consumption rather than impalement. These findings highlight the behavioral flexibility of shrikes, allowing them to adapt to dynamic environmental conditions. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of habitat preservation. Conservation strategies should prioritize maintaining natural thorny vegetation and suitable artificial substrates to support the species’ foraging and territorial behaviors in Mediterranean landscapes.</p>

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Winter foraging strategies and prey impalement behavior of the Iberian Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis in Mediterranean landscapes: adaptations to environmental variability

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年2月19日

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  • Frédéric Labouyrie

摘要

Non-migratory avian predators in temperate zones employ sophisticated survival strategies during winter, when low temperatures and variable prey availability pose significant challenges. This study investigates the winter prey impalement behavior of the Iberian Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) in southern France. Over a two-year period, 634 impaled prey items were documented, with the diet predominately consisting of energetically rich Hymenoptera, particularly Bombus terrestris, which accounted for 83% of identified prey. Secondary prey categories included Orthoptera (6.9%) and Coleoptera (4.8%), while vertebrates, though minimally represented, contributed 17% to the total biomass, reflecting the species’ opportunistic feeding behavior. Observations provided clear evidence for the dual function of impalement behavior in both foraging and territorial signaling. Impalements were primarily recorded on native thorny shrubs, such as Crataegus oxyacantha (45.2%) and Ulmus procera (21.3%), with occasional use of barbed wire in anthropogenically modified landscapes like grazing areas. Statistical analyses revealed a nuanced relationship between wind speed, temperature, and impalement probability. At lower maximum temperatures (e.g., 9.5 °C), impalement probability increased with rising wind speeds, possibly due to enhanced predator–prey encounter rates facilitated by wind-induced insect movement. In contrast, at higher maximum temperatures (e.g., 12.1 °C and 13.5 °C), impalement probability decreased with increasing wind speeds, reflecting potential shifts in foraging strategy toward direct prey consumption rather than impalement. These findings highlight the behavioral flexibility of shrikes, allowing them to adapt to dynamic environmental conditions. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of habitat preservation. Conservation strategies should prioritize maintaining natural thorny vegetation and suitable artificial substrates to support the species’ foraging and territorial behaviors in Mediterranean landscapes.