Abstract Aerial insectivore (AI) populations have been in steep decline in North America since the 1970s, with swallows, swifts, and nightjars declining more rapidly than flycatchers. As AI share a common diet of flying insects, reductions in insect abundance are likely one of the major factors driving population decline. Previous studies have shown major dietary differences between swallows and flycatchers; flycatchers have exhibited more diverse, generalist diets than swallows. However, no study has directly compared the diets of sympatric swallows and flycatchers using the same method of dietary analysis. To investigate these differences, we compared the diets of six AI species living in sympatry during the breeding season. We collected fecal samples from adult Riparia riparia (Bank Swallow), Hirundo rustica (Barn Swallow), Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Cliff Swallow), Tachycineta bicolor (Tree Swallow), Empidonax alnorum (Alder Flycatcher), and E. minimus (Least Flycatcher). We used DNA metabarcoding to identify the taxonomic composition of invertebrates in the feces and compared the richness of genera by insect order, insect family, and dipteran family between all species. Through a Bray-Curtis distance-based redundancy analysis, we identified significant differences in dietary composition between bird species at all three levels; however, the greatest amount of dissimilarity is seen in the dipterans consumed. Empidonax alnorum, E. minimus, H. rustica, and T. bicolor had broader, more generalist diets than P. pyrrhonota and R. riparia. By comparing the diets between multiple species living in sympatry, our study improves our understanding of a possible cause of disproportionate population declines observed among AI species.

Patricia R Nancekivell

Joseph J Nocera

Ornithology

AUK: ORNITHOLOGICAL ADVANCES 是一份国际同行评审期刊，通过对鸟类的研究，发表原创研究和学术成果，推进鸟类和广泛生物学概念（例如生态学、进化、行为、生理学、遗传学）的基础科学知识.文章经常介绍或采用创新的经验和理论方法和分析。期刊所涵盖的主题，无论是单独的还是使用综合的方法，包括：进化史和古生物学系统学和命名行为生态学觅食策略和策略人口生物学和生态学分子生态学社区和景观生态学迁移和定位间距模式和栖息地利用遗传学和基因组学表观遗传学和进化发展生理学和生物化学形态学和解剖学综合和跨学科研究理论和方法学进展主题评论和意见

Ornithology is an international peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and academic contributions through the study of birds, advancing foundational scientific knowledge in ornithology and broader biological concepts such as ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, and genetics. Articles frequently introduce or employ innovative empirical and theoretical methods and analyses. The topics covered by the journal, whether individually or through integrative approaches, include but are not limited to: evolutionary history and paleobiology, systematics and nomenclature, behavioral ecology, foraging strategies, population biology and ecology, molecular ecology, community and landscape ecology, migration and orientation, habitat use, genetics and genomics, epigenetics and evolutionary development, physiology and biochemistry, morphology and anatomy, integrative and interdisciplinary research, advancements in theory and methodology, as well as thematic reviews and opinions.

《Ornithology》是一本国际同行评审的期刊，致力于通过鸟类研究发表原创性研究和学术成果，推动鸟类及广泛生物学概念（如生态学、进化、生物行为、生理学、遗传学）的基础科学知识。期刊的文章常常采用创新的经验和理论方法进行分析。所涵盖的主题包括但不限于：进化史与古生物学、系统学与命名、行为生态学、觅食策略、人口生物学与生态学、分子生态学、社区与景观生态学、迁徙与定位、栖息地利用、遗传学与基因组学、表观遗传学与进化发展、生理学与生物化学、形态学与解剖学、综合与跨学科研究、理论与方法学进展，以及主题评论与意见。

Category	Quartile
生物学	2
生物学, 鸟类学	1

DNA metabarcoding reveals dietary divergence among sympatric swallows and flycatchers

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