Ecological role of the Great Tit Parus major as a seed disperser during winter

Abstract

To determine the annual and seasonal patterns in the transport of seeds by Great Tits Parus major, we investigated the species and number of seeds in the feces of Great Tits deposited in roost boxes during the winters of 1992–99. At least 63 morphological types of seeds were considered to have been transported after they were eaten by the tits and excreted into the feces. Forty-nine of the 63 seed types were excreted only in one of the seven winters. These results suggest that Great Tits transported seeds of various plant species sporadically.