Avian use of Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) on the Purchase College SUNY, Campus

Abstract

Abstract- In an increasingly anthropogenic world, local wildlife species face new environmental changes and challenges, one of them being the introduction of multiple new species of plants and animals that may act as food sources. These nonnative food sources can become invasive and may cause the reduction of the native species that were there originally. In the northeast region, a common invasive species is the Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, otherwise known as the Porcelain berry. This invasive is dominant at the Purchase College, SUNY campus in Westchester, New York. I was interested in how bird species on campus use Porcelain berry during the fall season. Over a period of eight weeks, I observed three sites containing Porcelain berry at high, low, and median heights, and recorded bird usage and activity (n= 24). Upon seeing birds present in sites with dense Porcelain berry cover, I captured birds to obtain fecal samples to do stable isotope analysis, to determine whether the birds were eating them. From Oct 21 to 22 2022, I collected fecal matter from 14 birds overall: Passer domesticus (House Sparrow), Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal), Melospiza melodia (Song Sparrow), Haemorhous mexicanus (House Finch), Baeolophus bicolor (Tufted Titmouse), Setophaga coronata (Myrtle Warbler), Zonotrichia albicollis (White-Throated Sparrow). I also collected Porcelain berries from each low, median, and high sites (3 sites), along with 4 general species of insects (beetles, stinkbugs, crickets, spiders), and three of the main ingredients in the bird seed used on campus (corn, sunflower seed, millet). All of these were evaluated for 13C and 15N to reconstruct the food web of what the birds were eating. Finding support that birds are eating these berries could lead to further research about their nutritional quality and the health benefits of other non-native plant species that local wildlife may feed on. Because the carbon signature of Porcelain berries was similar to that of other native species, I was unable to use stable isotope analysis to determine whether birds were eating Porcelain berries. Due to their high volumes throughout the region, it is likely that a bird will eat a Porcelain berry at some point, especially if it is the only berry option available, making it important to continue research on the potential health benefits or risks the species may pose to local wildlife who may consume it. Unexpectedly, I was able to determine a unique 15N signature for millet and corn from the bird food, which could be used in future studies to understand how birds rely on anthropogenic food sources.