Sains Malaysiana 44(5)(2015): 687–692

 

The Foraging Tactics of Chestnut-winged Babbler (Stachyris erythroptera) and Abbott's Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti) in a Lowland Rainforest, Malaysia

(Corak Pencarian Makanan oleh Rimba Merbah Sampah (Stachyris erythroptera) dan Rimba Riang (Malacocincla abbotti) di Hutan Hujan Tanah Rendah, Malaysia)

 

MOHAMMAD SAIFUL MANSOR^1,2*, ROSLI RAMLI¹ & SHAHRUL ANUAR MOHD SAH³

 

¹Laboratory of Zoological and Ecological Networking, Institute of Biological Sciences,

Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

²School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology

43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

 

³School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

 

Received: 26 August 2014/Accepted: 26 January 2015

 

ABSTRACT

Foraging pattern of Chestnut-winged Babbler (Stachyris erythroptera) and Abbott’s Babbler (Malacocincla abbotti) was studied in Lenggong Valley, Perak from July 2010 until July 2011. The study examines the patterns of foraging height, foraging substrates and attack manoeuvres of two babbler species (Family: Timaliidae), to explain how these trophically similar species can coexist in the same habitat; a central question in ecology. Information on the foraging height, foraging substrate and attack manoeuvres was collected independently for each foraging bird. Principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that these two species used similar proportion of foraging height (>0-2 m above the ground) and foraging substrate (dead leaves), but differed in the use of attack manoeuvres. The Chestnut-winged babbler used primarily stretching manoeuvre, whereas the Abbott’s babbler used primarily gleaning manoeuvre. This niche separation allowed these species to coexist in the same area, thus follows the Gause’ Law of competitive exclusion, that states two species occupying the same niches will not coexist forever.

 

Keywords: Behaviour; foraging ecology; insectivorous birds; niche separation, tropical forest

 

ABSTRAK

Corak pencarian makanan oleh Rimba Merbah Sampah (Stachyris erythroptera) dan Rimba Riang (Malacocincla abbotti) telah dikaji di Lembah Lenggong, Perak dari Julai 2010 hingga Julai 2011. Kajian ini menilai corak penggunaan tahap ketinggian, jenis substrat dan cara pergerakan serangan semasa mencari makanan oleh dua spesies babbler (Famili: Timaliidae), untuk mengkaji bagaimana spesies yang mempunyai persamaan diet boleh wujud dalam habitat yang sama; persoalan pusat dalam ekologi. Maklumat tentang penggunaan tahap ketinggian, jenis substrat dan cara pergerakan serangan semasa mencari makanan diambil secara bebas untuk setiap burung pemburuan. Analisis prinsip komponen dan analisis korelasi Pearson menunjukkan spesies ini menggunakan ketinggian (>0-2 m dari atas tanah) dan jenis substrat (daun-daun mati) yang sama, tetapi menggunakan cara serangan yang berbeza semasa mencari makanan. Rimba Merbah Sampah lazimnya menggunakan cara pergerakan meregang manakala Rimba Riang lazimnya menggunakan cara pergerakan memungut. Pemisahan nic membenarkan dua spesies burung ini untuk tinggal bersama di kawasan yang sama, menepati Undang-undang Gause pengecualian kompetitif yang menyatakan dua spesies yang memiliki pengkhususan yang sama tidak akan wujud bersama-sama selama-lamanya.

 

Kata kunci: Burung pemakan serangga; ekologi pencarian makanan; hutan tropika; nic pemisahan; tingkah laku

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*Corresponding author; email: msaifulmansor@gmail.com