Frugivory and size variation of animal prey in Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros during summer and autumn in south-western Poland

Abstract

Analyses of faeces of the Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros from the countryside of south-western Poland revealed a significant increase in the proportion of plant items (mainly berries of Sambucus nigralracemosa) between July and October; for animal prey items an inverse trend was found. During summer-autumn, no significant trends in the mass of all animal prey were found. The most numerous animal prey were three genera of ants (Lasius, Formica and Myrmica; 44.1% by number of all animal prey). Large numbers of undamaged seeds of several species of shrubs in the analyzed faeces, including non-native species, indicate that the Black Redstart is a potential disperser of woody plants in rural landscapes of Europe.