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Research | Open Access

Dietary analysis of the House Swift (Apus nipalensis) in Hong Kong using prey DNA in faecal samples

Chun Ting Chung1 ( ), Hok Sze Wong2, Man Long Kwok1, Qi Meng1, King Ming Chan1
School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 999077, N.T, China
Swift and Swallow Research Group, The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, 7C, V Ga Building, 532 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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Abstract

Background

To understand the dietary composition of the highly aerial swift (Apodidae), ecologists conventionally depend on the morphological identification of prey items from food boluses or stomach contents, but these techniques are often invasive, require expertise in identification, and often cannot produce accurate identifications at the species level.

Methods

DNA barcoding was used to analyse the dietary composition of House Swifts (Apus nipalensis) in Hong Kong, China. Faecal samples from five different colonial nest sites were collected between 2019 and 2020. We used universal primers to amplify a region of the cytochrome C oxidase gene from prey DNA in the faecal samples for identification purposes.

Results

Ten different orders and 44 families from three different classes of Arthropoda were identified in the collected faecal samples. Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Diptera were the most prevalent groups of prey found in the samples. Differences in the dietary composition of House Swifts during the breeding (April to September) and non-breeding (October to March) season were also found. Hymenoptera, particularly ants (Formicidae), were predominant in the diet during the breeding season, whereas Diptera and Hemiptera were predominant during the non-breeding season.

Conclusion

The prey groups identified in this study were similar to those identified in a previous study of the diet of House Swift, which also suggests a possible role of House Swifts in reducing the numbers of local insect pests. This study demonstrates the usefulness of applying molecular tools for the dietary analysis of aerial feeders. Conserving local forested areas may be crucial for the maintenance of House Swift population.

Keywords

DietDNA barcodingHouse swiftUrbanisation threat

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Avian Research
Volume 12 Issue 1,
January 2021
Article number: 5
DOI: 10.1186/s40657-021-00242-z
Cite this article:
Chung CT, Wong HS, Kwok ML, et al. Dietary analysis of the House Swift (Apus nipalensis) in Hong Kong using prey DNA in faecal samples. Avian Research, 2021, 12(1): 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-021-00242-z

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Received: 30 July 2020
Accepted: 07 January 2021
Published: 03 February 2021
© The Author(s) 2021.

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