Attraction of kestrels to vole scent marks visible in ultraviolet light

@article{Viitala1995AttractionOK,
  title={Attraction of kestrels to vole scent marks visible in ultraviolet light},
  author={J. Viitala and Erkki Korplm{\"a}ki and P{\"a}lvl Palokangas and M. Koivula},
  journal={Nature},
  year={1995},
  volume={373},
  pages={425-427}
}
IN northern Europe, broad four-year oscillations in small rodent and raptor populations are synchronous over hundreds of square kilometers 1–6. Crashes in vole populations can induce wide emigration (> 1,000 km) of their predators 7 –9, but almost nothing is known about how predators rapidly detect areas of vole abundance. Here we report on laboratory and field experiments on voles (Microtus agrestis) and kestrels (Falco tinnunculus). Voles mark their runaways with urine and faeces, which are… Expand
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Do Tengmalm's owls see vole scent marks visible in ultraviolet light?
TLDR
The results suggest that Tengmalm's owls probably do not use UV light as a cue to detect vole scent marks, suggesting that Diurnal kestrels, Falco tinnunculus and Aegolius funereus probably use them as a Cue to find areas of food abundance. Expand
Do scent marks increase predation risk of microtine rodents
TLDR
The results suggest that odour of scentmarks may be a larger risk to voles than UV visibility of scent marks, and small mustelids were the mainpredators of voles. Expand
Rough-legged Buzzards use vole scent marks to assess hunting areas
TLDR
The results indicate that Rough-legged Buzzards may be able to use vole scent marks as a cue when searching for profitable hunting and breeding areas. Expand
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The faeces and urine of microtine rodents are visible in ultraviolet light, and diurnal raptors, such as European kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) and rough-legged buzzards (Buteo lagopus), have the… Expand
Why lemmings have indoor plumbing in summer
TLDR
It is hypothesized that in arctic tundra areas in summer, intense avian predation pressure and short vegetation should select for microtine behaviour that would minimize their exposure to diurnal raptors. Expand
UV reflecting vole scent marks attract a passerine, the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor
TLDR
The great grey shrike probably uses UV cues to gain information on vole locations and abundance, and is likely to use scent marks with UV light to detect prey-patches. Expand
Scent marking by common volesMicrotus arvalis in the presence of a same-sex neighbour
TLDR
The competitive-ability hypothesis in females is tested, stating that the abundance of scent marks of an individual before a social interaction can predict its degree of intolerance in a future social interaction, and the results from female pairs physically interacting for four days support the hypothesis. Expand
The Role of Scent-Marking in Patchy and Highly Fragmented Populations of the Cabrera Vole (Microtus cabrerae Thomas, 1906)
TLDR
The clear preference of receivers to scent-mark with urine the substrate pre-marked by the opposite sex strongly suggests that Cabrera voles use urine scent-marks for inter-sexual communication, probably to increase mate-finding likelihood, rather than for territorial defense and/or self-advertisement. Expand
Pygmy owl Glaucidium passerinum and the usage of ultraviolet cues of prey
TLDR
It is suggested that pygmy owls can detect near UV and use UV to gain information about prey like other diurnal raptors. Expand
Shoal choice and ultraviolet reflections in stickleback populations from different photic habitats
TLDR
Reflection measurements showed that the UV chroma (intensity) of sticklebacks from tea-stained lakes was higher than that of stickelbacks from clear-water, most likely contrasting maximally against the UV-poor background or compensating for a stronger attenuation of the signal. Expand
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