Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand abstracts
Nutrient composition of the crop contents of growing and adult grey-faced
petrels (Pterodroma macroptera): a preliminary
investigation
W. H. Hendriks*, S. O'Conner+, D. V. Thomas*, S. M. Rutherfurd*,
G. A. Taylor**, W. G. Guilford***
*Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University,
Palmerston North, New Zealand
+National Wildlife Centre, Department of Conservation, Masterton,
New Zealand
**Biodiversity Recovery Unit, Department of Conservation, Wellington,
New Zealand
***Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey
University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Correspondence to: W. H. Hendriks, Monogastric Research Centre, Massey
University, Palmerston North. Ph: 06 3505065, Fax: 06 3505631
We investigated the nutrient composition of the crop contents of grey-faced
petrel (
Pterodroma macroptera) adults and chicks. Crop content samples
were obtained from birds breeding at Bethells Beach, Auckland, New Zealand over
a four month period (Sep-Dec 1997) and bulked according to age: 3-5, 6-10,
60-90 d old, and adults. Crop content samples were analysed for crude protein,
amino acids, gross energy, lipids, fatty acids, ash and minerals. All four age
groups contained high levels of crude protein (26-60%) and lipid (20-44%),
while the ash level was highly variable between age groups (4-41%). In general,
the amino acid pattern of the crude protein fraction was similar between the
four age groups except for taurine and several other amino acids in the 3-5 d
old group. The pattern of fatty acids was similar between the four age groups
although myristic and palmitoleic acid were higher in the free fatty acid and
triglyceride fraction of the 3-5 d old group. The calcium to phosphorus ratio
in the fat extracted crop content samples of the 60-90 d old and adult birds
was 2.5 and 2.9, respectively. The present study provides preliminary
information on the nutrient composition of the crop content of growing and
adult grey-faced petrels that can be used to formulate balanced artificial
diets for the different life stages of growth and adulthood of the taiko or
magenta petrel, a related, endangered species.
Keywords grey-faced petrel; Pterodroma macroptera;
crop contents; nutrient requirements
(c) Journal of The Royal Society of New Zealand,
Volume 30, Number 1, March 2000, pp 105-111
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (413K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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