Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds

Rice is often damaged by birds, especially sparrows, in Asia. Bird nets are sometimes used as countermeasures; however this approach is expensive and labor intensive. For this reason, farmers generally eschew bird nets, even though no alternative countermeasures are available. This study focused on...

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Main Author: Takeshi Honda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:International Journal of Zoology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/568494
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author Takeshi Honda
author_facet Takeshi Honda
author_sort Takeshi Honda
collection DOAJ
description Rice is often damaged by birds, especially sparrows, in Asia. Bird nets are sometimes used as countermeasures; however this approach is expensive and labor intensive. For this reason, farmers generally eschew bird nets, even though no alternative countermeasures are available. This study focused on exploiting the bird behavior of scanning for predators to reduce crop damage. When birds forage for seeds on the ground they often stop pecking and briefly raise their heads, apparently to scan for predators. Low visibility habitats increase scanning behavior and increased scanning behavior reduces habitat quality from the bird’s perspective; therefore, this study tested the relationship between rice damage rate and visibility at the periphery of rice fields, where tree sparrows rest after feeding. Overall, low visibility reduced damage to rice. Because visibility was mainly affected by weeds, weed management techniques contribute to crop damage management. To reduce damage, weeding can be decreased; therefore, this technique is cost- and labor-efficient.
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spelling doaj-art-11539ecb2cda4ef3af5196ec351c48d52025-02-03T06:01:32ZengWileyInternational Journal of Zoology1687-84771687-84852015-01-01201510.1155/2015/568494568494Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by BirdsTakeshi Honda0Yamanashi Prefecture Agricultural Research Center, Shimoimai 1100, Kai, Yamanashi 400-0105, JapanRice is often damaged by birds, especially sparrows, in Asia. Bird nets are sometimes used as countermeasures; however this approach is expensive and labor intensive. For this reason, farmers generally eschew bird nets, even though no alternative countermeasures are available. This study focused on exploiting the bird behavior of scanning for predators to reduce crop damage. When birds forage for seeds on the ground they often stop pecking and briefly raise their heads, apparently to scan for predators. Low visibility habitats increase scanning behavior and increased scanning behavior reduces habitat quality from the bird’s perspective; therefore, this study tested the relationship between rice damage rate and visibility at the periphery of rice fields, where tree sparrows rest after feeding. Overall, low visibility reduced damage to rice. Because visibility was mainly affected by weeds, weed management techniques contribute to crop damage management. To reduce damage, weeding can be decreased; therefore, this technique is cost- and labor-efficient.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/568494
spellingShingle Takeshi Honda
Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds
International Journal of Zoology
title Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds
title_full Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds
title_fullStr Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds
title_full_unstemmed Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds
title_short Exploiting Scanning Behavior for Predators Can Reduce Rice Damage Caused by Birds
title_sort exploiting scanning behavior for predators can reduce rice damage caused by birds
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/568494
work_keys_str_mv AT takeshihonda exploitingscanningbehaviorforpredatorscanreducericedamagecausedbybirds