CINNAMAMIDE MODIFIES FORAGING BEHAVIORS OF FREE-LIVING BIRDS

Chemical repellents may provide an effective and humane method of redu cing; bird damage to crops via modification of the feeding behavior of the target species. We observed behavior of free-living birds, in par ticular greenfinches (Carduelis chloris), blue tits (Parus caeruleus) and great tits (P. major), feeding on peanuts contained in wire-mesh f eeders set out in 5 rows at 5-m intervals progressing away from the ed ge of woodland. Two identical patches of peanuts were available and we re approximately 300 m apart. Prior to treatment, all birds preferred to feed closest to the woodland. We applied cinnamamide (0.6% mass/mas s), an avian repellent, to peanuts in the preferred rows of 1 patch (r ow 1 nest to the wood iri the first veer of the experiment, and rows 1 -3 in the second year). All birds avoided treated peanuts. When row I was treated, the number of tits feeding on rows 2-3 increased, and man y of the green finches moved away from the treated patch to the untrea ted patch. Whem rows 1-3 were treated, a few tits moved Lo feed on row 1, but most birds left the treated patch and numbers increased on the untreated patch, which suggested they flew to the untreated patch. Mo difications of feeding behavior brought about by the presence of cinna mamide varied among species. Such modifications may have been related to differences in social organization: tits were relatively solitary f eeders and were also probably establishing territories at the time of the experiment (Feb-Mar), whereas greenfinches fed and flew in large f locks. Thus, it wits likely easier for greenfinches to fly between pat ches than the tits. Only when eating untreated peanuts at their ''loca l'' patch involved feeding greater than or equal to 20 m from cover di d most tits leave the patch. probably for the untreated patch. Bird pe sts tend to be flock feeders, thus an effective and appropriately form ulated chemical repellent may be an effective tool for modifying the b ehavior of bird pests in order to reduce damage.