FEEDING BEHAVIOR

OPTIMAL FORAGING BEHAVIOR

&
ECOLOGY

JABARIL
Optimal Foraging Theory

Charles J. Krebs

*The animal should feed &

change their feeding in a
manner that:
1. minimizes the cost
2. maximizes the benefit
 Optimal Foraging

◼ Maximization of net energy intake

◼ Energy content of food
◼ Handling time
◼ Components of handling time
◼ Locate
◼ Pursue
◼ Capture
◼ Process (eat)
Can be achieved thru:

1.Optimal Diet === Food Type?

2.Optimal Foraging Time = when to eat/?

when to stop eating?
3. Optimal Patch Choice = Where?
4.Optimal Allocation of Time = How long to
spend?
5. Optimal Search Paths = directions, patterns,
speed?
1.PISCIVOROUS
2.INSECTIVOROUS
3.myrmecophagous
4.Folivores
5.VERMIVORES
6.granivores
7.FRUCTIVORES
8. CARNIVORES
9.omnivores
10.Blood suckers =sanguinivores
11.coprophagous
What ? Quality of the prey item

Feeding guilds:

1.piscivores = fishes
2.insectivores = insects
3.myrmecophagous = anteaters
4.vermivores = worms
5.folivores = foliage, young leaves
6.granivores= grains---rice, corn
7.fructivores = fruits—nuts, berries
8.carnivorous = meat eaters
9.omnivores = meat & leaves, fruits
10.blood suckers = vertebrate blood
11.coprophagous = wastes, manure
◼ WATERBIRDS
◼ Bill/Beak Type
◼ Type of Food item
◼ Method of eating
◼ probing
◼ pecking
◼
Bill stuctures & length (How)
 Sanderling & Hooded Plover: Glenn
Ehmke

Sooty Oystercatchers:
Latham’s Snipe

Freshwater wetlands Sandy beaches Rocky shores

HABITAT TYPES
Intertidal mud/
sandflats Grasslands Inland salt lakes
Asian Dowitcher:

Masked Lapwing:
Banded Stilt
 Snipe
Sandpipers Curlews Knots

Oystercatchers

waterbird/
migratory birds
Stints

Godwits

Plovers

Pratincoles Avocets
PROBOSCIS MONKEYS of BORNEO
Nasalis larvatus
Proboscis monkey
Functions performed by having a complex stomach (proboscis
monkeys & other colobines) compared to a simple one (humans,
apes, long tailed macaques)
======================================
complex simple
stomach stomach
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.Obtain E from leaves + -
2.Deactivate poisons + -
3.Make some vitamins + -
4.Re-cycle N + -
5.Digest sweet & E-rich fruits - +
6.Digest rich easily-accessible - +
protein e.g.,insects
◼ PROBOSCIS MONKEYS

◼ Avoid rambutans and figs-----would give

◼ highly uncomfortable condition known
◼ as BLOAT (otherwise can quickly kill
◼ the animal)
RAMBUTANS & FIGS
highly digestible foods, the bacteria ferment
them so rapidly that gas and acid build up
suddenly in the stomach
◼ PROBOSCIS MONKEYS

◼LEAVES
Non-sweet fruits & seeds
---nutmeg, legume & palm families
--often hard to find
So, “leaves, leaves everywhere but not
a lot to eat”
Optimal Foraging Time

Diurnal --- early am & late pm

Crepuscular ----late pm

Nocturnal ---- 6-9pm

Physiological Ecology
Thank You!!!!!