Foraging ecology of the Blue Rock Thrush along a rocky coast

Abstract

The foraging behavior of the Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius was investigated along a rocky coast in Niigata Prefecture. Thrushes were found foraging not only along the rocky shore, but also on sandy beaches, grasslands, and in forest adjacent to the shore. In each habitat their main foraging habitat was confirmed as open ground, where their primary prey consisted of animals smaller than 3 mm in length. The thrushes were confirmed as general predators of small animals living on open ground. The species' foraging behavior along a rocky coast was consistent with the species' foraging ecology in urban inland area.