Diet composition based on stable isotopic analysis of fecal samples revealed the preference of Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) for natural wetlands and fishponds

Background: Black-faced spoonbill (BFS) is a global endangered species, distributed only in the coastal zones of East Asia. Xinghua Bay is one of the main wintering sites and migration stopovers of BFS in mainland China. However, with the reduction and degradation of natural wetlands, it is uncertain whether the constructed wetland can provide habitat for the endangered BFS. Research on diet of BFS will help to understand their preference between natural and artificial wetlands, and also provide reference for their conservation and habitat restoration. Results: In the early winter, the proportion of Palaemonidae in BFS’s food was as high as 74.4%, while that of other food was only 3.0% to 6.0%. In the late winter, the food contribution of BFS was as follow: Portunidae 39.3% > Palaemonidae 26.1% > Cyprinidae 8.8% > Mugilidae 8.5% > Gobiidae 7.3% > Crucian 5.1% > Whiteshrimp 4.8%. The proportion of Portunidae exceeded that of Palaemonidae, and together with Palaemonidae...背景：黑脸琵鹭（Black-faced spoonbill, BFS）是全球濒危物种，仅分布于东亚沿海地带。兴化湾是中国大陆境内黑脸琵鹭的主要越冬地与迁徙停歇站点之一。然而，随着自然湿地的面积缩减与功能退化，人工湿地是否能够为这一濒危物种提供适宜栖息地仍未可知。针对黑脸琵鹭食性开展的研究，有助于厘清其对天然湿地与人工湿地的选择偏好，同时可为该物种的保护及栖息地修复工作提供科学参考依据。 结果：初冬时节，长臂虾科（Palaemonidae）在黑脸琵鹭的食物组成中占比高达74.4%，其余各类食物的占比仅为3.0%至6.0%。隆冬时节，黑脸琵鹭的食物贡献占比排序如下：梭子蟹科（Portunidae）39.3% > 长臂虾科（Palaemonidae）26.1% > 鲤科（Cyprinidae）8.8% > 鲻科（Mugilidae）8.5% > 鰕虎鱼科（Gobiidae）7.3% > 鲫属（Crucian）5.1% > 白虾（Whiteshrimp）4.8%。其中梭子蟹科的占比超过长臂虾科，二者共同……