Following of mammals after bird flocks in tropical forests. - P.V. Kvartalnov. - Berkut. 18 (1-2). 2009. - P. 173-187.
Mammals regularly follow birds that move searching food in tropical forests of Africa, Asia and South America. We give a review of literature that deal with this phenomenon and describe our observations made at the South of Vietnam. Bird parties are accompanied by relatively mobile terrestrial or arboreal small-sized diurnal mammals that forage alone or (rarely) in small groups and can be omnivorous (at least partly), such as squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae), tree-shrews (Scandentia: Tupaiidae) and mouse deers (Artiodactyla: Tragulidae). Birds forewarn mammals about predator approach and facilitate them access to some food resources. [Russian].
Key words: behaviour, foraging, association, interaction.
Address: P.V. Kvartalnov, dep. of vertebrate zoology, biological faculty, Moscow university, Leninskiye gory, 119991, Moscow, Russia; e-mail: cettia@mail.ru.