70 ZEITZ— Grebes as Feather-eaters. 



Grebes as Feather-eaters. 



[By F. R. Zietz.] 

 Contribution from the S.A. Museum. 



In domestic poultry feather-eating is considered due to a 

 craving fov flesh food and is common during the moulting 

 season when the new feathers are coming, some birds being 

 plucked almost naked. When once this habit is acquired they 

 will eat every small feather they can find. 



In the case of grebes, feathers seem to constitute a portion 

 of their regular diet. The first case which came under my 

 notice was an Australian Tippet Grebe (Podiccps cristatus cliris- 

 tiani) which was sent to the Museum as a "feather-eater" by 

 Mr. F. Stacey of Wellington West, S.A. Upon examining the 

 stomach I found it to contain a ball of grebe feathers, portions 

 of quills of feathers partly digested, remains of water weeds, 

 and what appeared to be frog's spawn. 



On writing to Mr. Stacey for further particulars as to 

 whether the birds plucked the feathers out of themselves or 

 other individuals, or whether they picked them up during the 

 moulting season, I received the following information from 

 him: — "I have been fishing on the River Murray and Lake 

 Alexandrina for over twenty-one years; the habits and food of 

 birds have always been of much interest to me. I have known 

 for many years that grebes eat feathers, and have examined 

 many of their stomachs. They spend most of their time under 

 the water in the quiet backwaters, where feathers float on the 

 surface till they become thoroughly saturated and sink. I feel 

 quite safe in saying that the feathers are not eaten until they 

 have been submerged long enough to be in the first stage of 

 decomposition. These birds eat not only feathers of their own 

 kind, but I have found their stomachs to contain those of the 

 Zebra or Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus), the 

 Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa), and the Teal (Virago sp.). 



Although the grebes eat a great many feathers and spend 

 the greater part of their life under water, they are always fat; 

 domestic cats will eat them in preference to other birds. 

 The Dabchick or Hoary-headed Grebe (Polioccphalus polio- 

 cephapus) also eats feathers, but not to the same extent as the 

 former species." In regard to the Hoary-headed Grebe I might 



