Forced regurgitation with tartar emetic as an effective and safe method to study diet composition in hooded crow nestlings

Authors:

• Piotr Zduniak

Abstract

The effectiveness of tartar emetic in causing forced regurgitation was tested in hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix) nestlings from a protected area in western Poland. Tartar emetic was highly effective in causing regurgitation. In 84 of 98 cases (85.7%), nestlings responded by vomiting reflexes, producing 81 food samples (82.6% of all cases). After the procedure no bird was observed to develop negative symptoms. Survival of the birds subjected to forced regurgitation was higher than in the control group (no emetic), which is probably related to the administration of glucose to the birds after enforced regurgitation. Even repeated administration of tartar emetic was without negative effects on the nestlings. The use of tartar emetic does not require frequent visits at the nests, limiting the probability of cannibalistic behaviour and nest predation. © Springer-Verlag 2005.