What two specific prey items constitute up to 90% of the Eared Grebe's diet while staging at Mono Lake?
Answer
Brine shrimp and alkali flies
At Mono Lake, the grebes feast heavily on brine shrimp and alkali flies, which together can make up as much as 90% of their total food intake during this critical staging period.
Related Questions
What physical feature gives the Eared Grebe its common North American name?During migration and winter staging, how large can Eared Grebe congregations become at key locations?What type of feet do Eared Grebes possess, which aids in underwater propulsion, similar to a coot?What are the two primary hypersaline staging areas utilized by the entire North American Eared Grebe population during the fall migration?What two specific prey items constitute up to 90% of the Eared Grebe's diet while staging at Mono Lake?How do researchers suggest Eared Grebes extract necessary fresh water from their brine shrimp diet?What physiological change occurs to the pectoral (flight) muscles during the fall staging period as the bird focuses on fuel storage?What is remarkable about the duration of the flightless period during the Eared Grebe's fall staging?What common reproductive behavior involves a female Eared Grebe laying eggs in the nests of other conspecifics?Following hatching, how is parental care divided among the adults in the Eared Grebe brood?