Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Tollan A.M. (1988) Maintenance energy requirements and energy assimilation efficiency of the Australasian Harrier. ARDEA 76 (2): 181-186
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Eighteen food consumption trials were conducted with six Australasian Harriers maintained within the zone of thermo neutrality on three diets. Dry food intake was highest on a fish Gobiomorphus cotidianus diet (14.1 g/ day), intermediate when fed 1-day-old domestic chicks (13.6 g/ day) and lowest on a diet of laboratory mice (10.9 g/day). Dry matter assimilation efficiency of the three diets was similar. Metabolised energy requirement for maintenance of hawks was least when fed mice (185.9 kJ/day), intermediate when given day-old chicks (207.4 kJ/ day), and highest on a diet of fish (241.6 kJ/ day). Differences were related to the relative proportions of fat, protein and ash in the diets. Energy assimilation efficiencies were highest on fish (81.1 %), intermediate on mice (75.5%) and lowest on the chick diet (70.2%). Gross energy intake increased as available energy for metabolism decreased.


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