New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Short communication
Effect of green dye and cinnamon oil on consumption of cereal pest baits by
captive North Island kaka (Nestor meridionalis)
G. J. HICKLING
Department of Entomology and Animal Ecology
P.O. Box 84, Lincoln University
Canterbury, New Zealand
Abstract An aviary trial was conducted to determine whether a
combination of green dye and cinnamon oil would deter captive North Island kaka
(Nestor meridionalis) from feeding on cereal baits used for possum pest
control. Three kaka were presented with cereal baits, with and without dye and
cinnamon oil, for four consecutive days.
Kaka showed no significant preference for plain baits on the first day of the
trial (P = 0.75), but developed a highly significant
preference thereafter (P < 0.001 by days 3 and 4). This
plain-bait preference seems to have arisen as a learned response following
initial non-selective sampling of both bait types. The role of learning
therefore needs to be considered carefully in the design of future studies of
this type.
Keywords kaka; Nestor meridionalis; possum control;
food preference; bait; non-target species
Received 28 November 1996; accepted 7 April 1997
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1997, Vol. 24: 239-242
0301-4223/2403-0239 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (309K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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