| Popis: |
Lake Nokoue, in southern Benin, is a heavily exploited fishery, but it is also inhabited by numerous piscivorous birds, especially kingfishers. This chapter considers the similarity between the diet of kingfishers and fish available on the local market between midFebruary to mid-May 1999, during a low water level period. Excretory pellets were collected on the top of breeding banks and inside brood chambers. The diet was determined by comparing the bones recovered from the pellets with a reference collection. Eighteen prey categories were recognised in the 1099 diagnostic items. Kingfishers preyed mostly on cichlids (Sarotherodon melanotheron Ruppell and Hemichromis fasciatus Peters), clupeids (Ethmalosa fimbriata (Bowdich)), eleotrids (Kribia sp.) and Hyporhamphus picarti (Val.). Prey size of H. fasciatus ranged from 22 to 73 mm (46.4 11.6 mm) and for S. melanotheron from 24 to 65 mm (44 9.2 mm). The composition of the diet varied depending on time and location. Overlap with marketed fish is limited to S. melanotheron. |
