Birds Attacking Butterflies

Fixed eyespot display in a butterfly thwarts attacking birds

Endophagy of biting midges attacking cavity-nesting birds.

Feeding behaviour, host preferences and the spectrum of available hosts determine the role of vectors in pathogen transmission. Feeding preferences of blood-feeding Diptera depend on, among others factors, the willingness of flies to attack their hosts either in the open (exophagy) or in enclosed places (endophagy). As far as ornithophilic blood-feeding Diptera are concerned, the biting midges ...

From birds to butterflies: animal movement patterns and stable isotopes.

Establishing patterns of movement of wild animals is crucial for our understanding of their ecology, life history and behavior, and is a prerequisite for their effective conservation. Advances in the use of stable isotope markers make it possible to track a diversity of animal species in a variety of habitats. This approach is revolutionizing the way in which we make connections between phases ...

Birds and Butterflies in Swedish Urban and Peri-urban Habitats: a Landscape Perspective

Hedblom, M. 2007. Birds and butterflies in Swedish urban and peri-urban habitats: a landscape perspective. Doctor's dissertation. Urbanisation is considered to be one of the largest threats to biodiversity although little is known about the effect of habitat fragmentation on native flora and fauna in urban areas in general, and in Sweden specifically. In this thesis, data have been collected us...

Comparing the Response of Birds and Butterflies to Vegetation-Based Mountain Ecotones Using Boundary Detection Approaches

Mountains provide an opportunity to examine changes in biodiversity across environmental gradients and areas of transition (ecotones). Mountain ecotones separate vegetation belts. Here, we aimed to examine whether transition areas for birds and butterflies spatially correspond with ecotones between three previously described altitudinal vegetation belts on Mt. Hermon, northern Israel. These inc...