01839nas a2200253 4500008004100000245014500041210006900186260001200255300001200267490000700279520099300286653000901279653001601288653002101304653002101325653002101346653001101367653001701378653001401395653001201409100002001421700001601441856012801457 1996 eng d00aForaging ecology and conservation of feeding habitats of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) in the Axios River Delta, Macedonia, Greece0 aForaging ecology and conservation of feeding habitats of Little  c1996/// a115-1210 v193 aFrom 1988 to 1990, Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) used all available feeding habitats in the study area, i.e., saltmarshes, freshwater habitats and rice fields (breeding season primarily). Freshwater habitats were preferred during pre-breeding, breeding and post-breeding periods. However, foraging success there was generally lower than in other habitats; a considerable part of the Little Egret population simply used this habitat type without feeding possibly due to manmade habitat alterations that took place during the study period. Saltmarshes were an important habitat: Little Egrets foraged exclusively there in March, and in the pre- and post-breeding periods foraging success was generally higher than in other freshwater habitats. In rice fields, Little Egrets had a generally greater foraging success than in the other habitats in two of the three study years. Conservation of feeding habitats should include prey management and protection from further habitat degradation.10aAves10aAxios River10aEgretta garzetta10aFeeding habitats10aForaging ecology10aGreece10aLittle Egret10aMacedonia10awetland1 aKazantzidis, S.1 aGoutner, V. uhttps://icgf.myspecies.info/content/foraging-ecology-and-conservation-feeding-habitats-little-egrets-egretta-garzetta-axios02900nas a2200277 4500008004100000245021900041210006900260260001200329300001200341490000700353520188600360653000902246653001602255653003002271653002102301653002102322653001102343653001702354653002402371653002602395100002002421700001602441700001802457700001402475856013302489 1997 eng d00aComparative nest site selection and breeding success in 2 sympatric ardeids, Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in the Axios Delta, Macedonia, Greece0 aComparative nest site selection and breeding success in 2 sympat c1997/// a505-5170 v203 aWe studied nest site selection and breeding success of Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) and Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) in the Axios Delta (Greece) from 1988 to 1990. Both species nested above the middle of tamarisks and alders. Nest density varied each year from 333.3 nests/ha to 646.2 nests/ha for Blackcrowned Night-Herons and 291.7 nests/ha to 421.5 nests/ha for Little Egrets. Black-crowned Night-Herons started to breed earlier than Little Egrets, also placing their nests higher (mean nest height: 4.21 ± SD of 0.80 m and 3.54 ± SD of 0.71 m for Black-crowned Night-Herons and Little Egrets, respectively). The nearest neighbors were conspecifics for Black-crowned Night-Herons and heterospecifics (Black-crowned Night-Herons) for Little Egrets. The mean distance of the nearest neighbor was similar in both species (1.02 ± SD of 0.46 m and 1.11 ± SD of 0.37 m for Black-crowned Night-Herons and Little Egrets, respectively). In contrast to late-nesting Little Egrets that located their nests lower, Black-crowned Night-Herons maintained a constant nest distance from the ground. The mean clutch size (3.40 ± SD of 0.60 and 4.32 ± SD of 0.81 for Black-crowned Night-Herons and Little Egrets, respectively) and the mean chick survival per nest (2.48 ± SD of 0.95 and 2.53 ± SD of 1.28 for Black-crowned Night-Herons and Little Egrets, respectively) of both species varied among the study years. No variation was observed in the means of clutch size and chick survival per nest of Black-crowned Night-Herons among the 3 sub-periods of the breeding season. Little Egret clutch size and mean number of eggs hatched was smaller in late nesters, but no difference was observed in chick survival per nest between early and late nesters. Nest placement did not affect chick survival in Black-crowned Night-Herons and only marginally in Little Egrets.10aAves10aAxios Delta10aBlack-crowned Night-Heron10aBreeding success10aEgretta garzetta10aGreece10aLittle Egret10aNest site selection10aNycticorax nycticorax1 aKazantzidis, S.1 aGoutner, V.1 aPyrovetsi, M.1 aSinis, A. uhttps://icgf.myspecies.info/content/comparative-nest-site-selection-and-breeding-success-2-sympatric-ardeids-black-crowned-night02108nas a2200265 4500008004100000245012400041210006900165260001200234300001200246490000700258520124700265653001501512653001801527653000901545653001801554653002101572653002101593653001101614653001601625653001701641653001701658100001801675700001801693856013101711 1997 eng d00aEffect of water level fluctuations on wading bird foraging habitat use at an irrigation reservoir, Lake Kerkini, Greece0 aEffect of water level fluctuations on wading bird foraging habit c1997/// a244-2520 v203 aLake Kerkini, a Ramsar site in Macedonia, Greece, is an irrigation reservoir with water level fluctuations exceeding 5 m annually. We determined the effect of water level fluctuations on the area of available Ciconiiformes' foraging habitat at low, intermediate and high lake stages. Log-linear analysis assessed the changes in the patterns of foraging habitat use by Great Egrets, Little Egrets and Grey Herons in response to the interactions of foraging habitat type and lake stage. At low lake stage Ciconiiformes mainly foraged in non-vegetated habitats or in lacustrine and palustrine habitats with submerged vegetation, while at intermediate lake stages they used palustrine habitats with emergent or submerged vegetation. At high lake stage birds shifted to riverine habitats that constituted the main available foraging grounds. The coexistence of three wetland systems enhances habitat heterogeneity at Lake Kerkini and enables large heron populations to thrive, despite the relatively small foraging area compared to other Mediterranean wetlands. Only Great Egrets seem to face constraints related to the limited availability of marshes - habitats linked to the species feeding and nesting requirements - during the breeding period.10aArdea alba10aArdea cinerea10aAves10aCiconiiformes10aEgretta garzetta10aForaging habitat10aGreece10aImpoundment10aLake Kerkini10aWading birds1 aDimalexis, A.1 aPyrovetsi, M. uhttps://icgf.myspecies.info/content/effect-water-level-fluctuations-wading-bird-foraging-habitat-use-irrigation-reservoir-lake02235nas a2200289 4500008004100000245018200041210006900223260001200292300001200304490000700316520124700323653001501570653001801585653000901603653002101612653002201633653002401655653002101679653001101700653001701711653001601728653001701744100001801761700001801779700001801797856013001815 1997 eng d00aForaging ecology of the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in response to habitat, at 2 Greek wetlands0 aForaging ecology of the Grey Heron iArdea cinereai Great Egret i c1997/// a261-2720 v203 aWe studied the responses of 3 heron species, Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Great Egret (A. alba) and Little Egret (Egretta garzella) to different foraging habitats in 2 Greek wetlands of international importance, Lakes Mikri Prespa and Kerkini, These lakes are different in their hydrology, productivity and vegetation cover. Parameters of foraging tactics - such as strike rate, foraging effort expended per min and effort expended per strike - as well as parameters of foraging efficiency - such as striking efficiency, captures per unit effort and biomass intake per unit effort - were analyzed in relation to habitat and lake. Each species adopted different tactics and achieved variable efficiencies in response to the particular lake, habitat conditions and prey characteristics. Little Egrets revealed the greatest plasticity in their foraging repertoire, especially with regard to their mobility and prey preference. Great Egrets and Grey Herons consumed larger amounts of biomass per unit effort than did Little Egrets, with Great Egrets achieving the highest striking efficiency. Riverine habitats proved to be more profitable than marshes for all 3 species, while wet meadows seemed to play a complementary role for herons' foraging.10aArdea alba10aArdea cinerea10aAves10aEgretta garzetta10aForaging behavior10aForaging efficiency10aForaging habitat10aGreece10aLake Kerkini10aLake Prespa10aWading birds1 aDimalexis, A.1 aPyrovetsi, M.1 aSgardelis, S. uhttps://icgf.myspecies.info/content/foraging-ecology-grey-heron-ardea-cinerea-great-egret-ardea-alba-and-little-egret-egretta