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Zurdo JCorresponding AuthorBarrero AAuthorBustillo-De La Rosa DAuthorGómez-Catasús JAuthorMorales MbAuthorTraba JAuthor

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March 21, 2023
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Dietary niche overlap and resource partitioning among six steppe passerines of Central Spain using DNA metabarcoding

Publicated to:IBIS. 165 (3): 905-923 - 2023-07-01 165(3), DOI: 10.1111/ibi.13188

Authors: Zurdo, Julia; Barrero, Adrian; da Silva, Luis P; Bustillo-de la Rosa, Daniel; Gomez-Catasus, Julia; Morales, Manuel B B; Traba, Juan; Mata, Vanessa A A

Affiliations

CIBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - Author
CIBIO, BIOPOLIS Programme Genom Biodivers & Land Plannin, Campus Vairao, Vairao, Portugal - Author
Nov Univ Appl Sci, Ekenas, Finland - Author
Univ Autonoma Madrid CIBC UAM, Ctr Invest Biodivers & Cambio Global, Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Autonoma Madrid TEG UAM, Dept Ecol, Terr Ecol Grp, Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Porto, Ctr Invest Biodiversidade & Recursos Genet, InBIO Lab Associado, CIBIO, Campus Vairao, Porto, Portugal - Author
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid - Author
Yrkeshögskolan Novia , Universidad Autónoma de Madrid - Author
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Abstract

Trophic niche partitioning is a mechanism that facilitates the coexistence of ecologically similar species by sharing their resource use. However, detailed information of the trophic niche in insectivorous birds is usually limited by the lack of accurate identification of consumed food resources. The use of DNA metabarcoding has proved useful for molecular identification of the taxa present in bird faecal samples. Here, we used this molecular technique to study the diets of six steppe passerine species distributed in two Special Protection Areas in central Spain, and to characterize the dietary niche overlap and the prey composition differences between bird species. In total, we distinguished 112 diet items, covering 39 arthropod families of 13 orders. Although significant dietary differences existed in prey species composition, our results indicated a 74% overlap in steppe bird dietary niche, mostly due to high consumption of abundant arthropod prey such as beetles, grasshoppers and spiders in the breeding season by all bird species. The lowest overlap was found for the dietary niches of the Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla and Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti, a scarce and threatened species, which appeared to be the species with the most distinct dietary niche within the community. Our results make a significant contribution to the knowledge of shrub-steppe bird diets and their trophic interactions, indicating that some extent of interspecific resource partitioning occurs in the study area, notably between Dupont's Lark and the Greater Short-toed Lark. Our study demonstrates the value of DNA metabarcoding in the assessment of passerine diets and provides useful ecological results for the design of biodiversity conservation programmes in the increasingly scarce and threatened steppe habitats.

Keywords

birdsconservationdiversityenvironmental dnafaecal metabarcodingfoodgrasshoppersjulidaeland-useopportunismpreysegregationshrub-steppestrophic nicheDietFaecal metabarcodingGrasshoppersJulidaeMolecular analysisShrub-steppesTrophic niche

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal IBIS due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 3/29, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Ornithology. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 7.48, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Jul 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-08, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 10
  • Scopus: 10

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-08:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 41.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 50 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 39.05.
  • The number of mentions on the social network Facebook: 2 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 14 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions in news outlets: 3 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://repositorio.uam.es/handle/10486/706924

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Finland; Portugal.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (ZURDO JORDA, JULIA) .

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been ZURDO JORDA, JULIA.