Scavenger Vertebrates of Dörtdivan Vulture Restaurant, Turkey

Year 2020, Volume: 33 Issue: 2, 342 - 353, 01.06.2020

Esra Per , Yunus Ayhan

https://doi.org/10.35378/gujs.595222

Abstract

Fairly recently scavenging was thought to be restricted to a few groups of 'classic' and sometimes facultative scavengers and vultures, but what most of the more recent researches has shown is that a much wider range of groups and species are scavenger. There is a need to investigate this diversity and interactions with different communities of avian and mammalian scavengers in Turkey. The diversity of scavenger vertebrate species, their behaviour, and interactions between individuals are investigated. This study was conducted in Dörtdivan Vulture Restaurant, Bolu, Turkey. Twenty five species are recorded (eighteen birds and seven mammal) while feeding on the carcasses. The diversity of vertebrates feeding on the carcass is varied according to the carcass type. Opportunistic non-obligatory scavengers are more dominant than obligatory scavengers in this study. The intraspecific and interspecific competitions are detected between scavengers. This is the first assessment of scavenger vertebrates in Turkey. It could be the useful reference for new assessments in the future.

Keywords

Facultative, Obligator, Opportunistic, Competition

Thanks

We would like to thank Ornitofoto Bird and Wildlife Photographers Association and The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for local support and the establishment of the vulture restaurant. We thank to Richard Inger for scientific suggestions about the scavenger.

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