Wild fruits provide an important food resource for migrating songbirds and the nutritional quality of consumed fruits may have implications on the energetics of birds during migration. We analyzed the fruits of native and invasive shrub species at two migration stopover locations in Rochester, NY. We conducted chemical analyses on the fruits of three native and three invasive shrub species to assess the nutritional value of the fruits for refueling birds. Water content ranged from 55.57-88.76%, fat content ranged from 0.51-34.90%, ash content ranged from 2.17-8.37%, and energy density  ranged from 15.74-27.16 kJ/g dry mass. There was a positive correlation between fat content and energy density of the fruits, with native dogwoods containing higher fat and energy content than all invasive species. Our results suggest that fruits of native shrubs are of higher nutritional value to migrating songbirds than the fruits of invasive shrubs during autumn migration.

Chemical composition and nutritional quality of native and invasive wild fruits in western New York

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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