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Cansse T, Lens L, Sutton GJ, Botha JA, Arnould JPY. Foraging behaviour and habitat use during chick-rearing in the Australian endemic black-faced cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens). Biol Open 2024; 13:bio060336. [PMID: 38752596 PMCID: PMC11128270 DOI: 10.1242/bio.060336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite its wide distribution, relatively little is known of the foraging ecology and habitat use of the black-faced cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens), an Australian endemic seabird. Such information is urgently required in view of the rapid oceanic warming of south-eastern Australia, the stronghold of the species. The present study used a combination of opportunistically collected regurgitates and GPS/dive behaviour data loggers to investigate diet, foraging behaviour and habitat-use of black-faced cormorants during four chick-rearing periods (2020-2023) on Notch Island, northern Bass Strait. Observed prey species were almost exclusively benthic (95%), which is consistent with the predominantly benthic diving behaviour recorded. Males foraged at deeper depths than females (median depth males: 18 m; median depth females: 8 m), presumably due to a greater physiological diving capacity derived from their larger body size. This difference in dive depths was associated with sexual segregation of foraging locations, with females predominantly frequenting shallower areas closer to the coastline. These findings have strong implications for the management of the species, as impacts of environmental change may disproportionally affect the foraging range of one sex and, thereby, reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cansse
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood 3125, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Grace J. Sutton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood 3125, Australia
| | - Jonathan A. Botha
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood 3125, Australia
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood 3125, Australia
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2
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Diet of adult and immature imperial cormorants, Leucocarbo atriceps, from southern Patagonia. A combined dietary approach and an exploratory analysis of stable isotopes of pellet membrane. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03086-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/07/2022]
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3
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Krishnan K, Garde B, Bennison A, Cole NC, Cole EL, Darby J, Elliott KH, Fell A, Gómez-Laich A, de Grissac S, Jessopp M, Lempidakis E, Mizutani Y, Prudor A, Quetting M, Quintana F, Robotka H, Roulin A, Ryan PG, Schalcher K, Schoombie S, Tatayah V, Tremblay F, Weimerskirch H, Whelan S, Wikelski M, Yoda K, Hedenström A, Shepard ELC. The role of wingbeat frequency and amplitude in flight power. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220168. [PMID: 36000229 PMCID: PMC9403799 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Body-mounted accelerometers provide a new prospect for estimating power use in flying birds, as the signal varies with the two major kinematic determinants of aerodynamic power: wingbeat frequency and amplitude. Yet wingbeat frequency is sometimes used as a proxy for power output in isolation. There is, therefore, a need to understand which kinematic parameter birds vary and whether this is predicted by flight mode (e.g. accelerating, ascending/descending flight), speed or morphology. We investigate this using high-frequency acceleration data from (i) 14 species flying in the wild, (ii) two species flying in controlled conditions in a wind tunnel and (iii) a review of experimental and field studies. While wingbeat frequency and amplitude were positively correlated, R2 values were generally low, supporting the idea that parameters can vary independently. Indeed, birds were more likely to modulate wingbeat amplitude for more energy-demanding flight modes, including climbing and take-off. Nonetheless, the striking variability, even within species and flight types, highlights the complexity of describing the kinematic relationships, which appear sensitive to both the biological and physical context. Notwithstanding this, acceleration metrics that incorporate both kinematic parameters should be more robust proxies for power than wingbeat frequency alone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Baptiste Garde
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8PP, UK
| | - Ashley Bennison
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 N73 K, Ireland
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nik C. Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, La Profonde Rue, Jersey JE3 5BP, Jersey
| | - Emma-L. Cole
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8PP, UK
| | - Jamie Darby
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 N73 K, Ireland
| | - Kyle H. Elliott
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adam Fell
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución and Instituto de Ecología, Genética Y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sophie de Grissac
- Diomedea Science – Research and Scientific Communication, 819 route de la Jars, 38 950 Quaix-en-Chartreuse, France
| | - Mark Jessopp
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork T23 N73 K, Ireland
| | | | - Yuichi Mizutani
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Aurélien Prudor
- Centres d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé – CNRS, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Michael Quetting
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET, Boulevard Brown, 2915, U9120ACD, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | | | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Kim Schalcher
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Schoombie
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Vikash Tatayah
- Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Vacoas 73418, Mauritius
| | - Fred Tremblay
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Ken Yoda
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Anders Hedenström
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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4
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Colominas-Ciuró R, Cianchetti-Benedetti M, Michel L, Dell'Omo G, Quillfeldt P. Foraging strategies and physiological status of a marine top predator differ during breeding stages. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2021; 263:111094. [PMID: 34653609 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.111094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Habitat characteristics determine the presence and distribution of trophic resources shaping seabirds' behavioural responses which may result in physiological consequences. Such physiological consequences in relation to foraging strategies of different life-history stages have been little studied in the wild. Thus, we aim to assess differences in oxidative status, condition (fat stores, i.e. triglyceride levels, TRI), stress (Heterophil/Lymphocyte (H/L) ratio), and leukocyte profiles between incubation and chick rearing highlighting the role of foraging strategies in a seabird (Calonectris diomedea). Chick rearing was more energetically demanding and stressful than incubation as demonstrated by high stress levels (H/L ratio and leukocytes) and lower body stores (assessed by TRI and the increment of weight) due to the high energy requirements of rearing chicks. Also, our results make reconsider the simplistic trade-off model where reproduction increases metabolism and consequently the rate of oxidative stress. In fact, high energy expenditure (VeDBA) during chick rearing was correlated with low levels of oxidative damage likely due to mechanisms at the level of mitochondrial inner membranes (uncoupling proteins or low levels of oxygen partial pressure). Further (more distant) and longer (more days) foraging trips were performed during incubation, when antioxidants showed low levels compared to chick rearing due to incubation fasting, a change in diet, or a combination of these factors; but unlikely because of oxidative shielding since no relation was found between oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity. Males showed higher numbers of monocytes which were positively correlated with antioxidant capacity compared to females, suggesting sexual differences in immune profiles. Species-specific costs and energetic demands of different breeding phases trigger behavioural and physiological adjustments.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Colominas-Ciuró
- Dept. Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Dept. Ecology, Physiology & Ethology. CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France..
| | - M Cianchetti-Benedetti
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; Ornis Italica, 00199 Rome, Italy
| | - L Michel
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | | | - P Quillfeldt
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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Li XY, Kokko H. Sexual dimorphism driven by intersexual resource competition: Why is it rare, and where to look for it? J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1831-1843. [PMID: 33759459 PMCID: PMC8453853 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sexes often differ more obviously in secondary sexual characteristics than in traits that appear naturally selected, despite conceivable benefits to intersexual niche partitioning. Genetic constraints may play a role in limiting sex‐specific niche evolution; however, it is not clear why this limit should apply to naturally selected traits more than those under sexual selection; the latter routinely produces dimorphism. We ask whether ecological factors and/or features of the mating system limit dimorphism in resource use, or conversely, what conditions are the most permissible ones for sexual niche differences. The scale of mating competition and spatial variation in resource availability can help predict sexually dimorphic niches or the lack thereof. We investigate why and when dimorphism might fail to evolve even if genetic covariation between the sexes posed no constraint. Our analytical model incorporates the first aspect of spatial interactions (scale of mating competition). It is followed by simulations that explore broader conditions, including multiple resources with habitat heterogeneity, genetic correlations and non‐Gaussian resource‐use efficiency functions. We recover earlier known conditions for favourable conditions for the evolution of niche partitioning between sexes, such as narrow individual niche and low degrees of genetic constraint. We also show spatial considerations to alter this picture. Sexual niche divergence occurs more readily when local mating groups are small and different resources occur reliably across habitats. Polygyny (medium‐sized or large mating groups) can diminish the prospects for dimorphism even if no genetic constraints are present. Habitat heterogeneity typically also disfavours niche dimorphism but can also lead to polymorphism within a sex, if it is beneficial to specialize to be very competitive in one habitat, even at a cost to performance in the other. Sexual conflict is usually used to explain dimorphic traits or behaviours. Our models highlight that introducing conflict (achieved by switching from monogamy to polygamy) can also be responsible for sexual monomorphism. Under monogamy, males benefit from specializing to consume other resources than what feeds the female best. Polygyny makes males disregard this female benefit, and both sexes compete for the most profitable resource, leading to overlapping niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yi Li
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Giery ST, Layman CA. Ecological Consequences Of Sexually Selected Traits: An Eco-Evolutionary Perspective. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1086/702341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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7
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Soldatini C, Albores‐Barajas YV, Ramos‐Rodriguez A, Munguia‐Vega A, González‐Rodríguez E, Catoni C, Dell'Omo G. Tracking reveals behavioural coordination driven by environmental constraints in the Black‐vented Shearwater
Puffinus opisthomelas. POPUL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.1024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Soldatini
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada – Unidad La Paz La Paz Mexico
| | - Yuri V. Albores‐Barajas
- Department of Marine Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur La Paz Mexico
- CONACYT. Dept. Catedras. Av. Insurgentes Mexico
| | | | - Adrian Munguia‐Vega
- Conservation Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona
- PANGAS Science Coordination Department. Comunidad y Biodiversidad A.C Guaymas Mexico
| | | | - Carlo Catoni
- Animal Tracking Department, Ornis italica Rome Italy
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8
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Colominas-Ciuró R, Santos M, Coria N, Barbosa A. Sex-specific foraging strategies of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae): Females forage further and on more krill than males in the Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2395-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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9
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Thalinger B, Oehm J, Zeisler C, Vorhauser J, Traugott M. Sex-specific prey partitioning in breeding piscivorous birds examined via a novel, noninvasive approach. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8985-8998. [PMID: 30271560 PMCID: PMC6157673 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Piscivorous birds frequently display sex-specific differences in their hunting and feeding behavior, which lead to diverging impacts on prey populations. Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), for example, were previously studied to examine dietary differences between the sexes and males were found to consume larger fish in coastal areas during autumn and winter. However, information on prey partitioning during breeding and generally on sex-specific foraging in inland waters is missing. Here, we assess sex-specific prey choice of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) during two subsequent breeding seasons in the Central European Alpine foreland, an area characterized by numerous stagnant and flowing waters in close proximity to each other. We developed a unique, noninvasive approach and applied it to regurgitated pellets: molecular cormorant sexing combined with molecular fish identification and fish-length regression analysis performed on prey hard parts. Altogether, 364 pellets delivered information on both, bird sex, and consumed prey. The sexes differed significantly in their overall prey composition, even though Perca fluviatilis, Rutilus rutilus, and Coregonus spp. represented the main food source for both. Albeit prey composition did not indicate the use of different water bodies by the sexes, male diet was characterized by higher prey diversity within a pellet and the consumption of larger fish. The current findings show that female and male cormorants to some extent target the available prey spectrum at different levels. Finally, the comprehensive and noninvasive approach has great potential for application in studies of other piscivorous bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Oehm
- Institute of EcologyUniversity of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
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10
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Wilson RP, Gómez-Laich A, Sala JE, Dell'Omo G, Holton MD, Quintana F. Long necks enhance and constrain foraging capacity in aquatic vertebrates. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.2072. [PMID: 29142117 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly specialized diving birds display substantial dichotomy in neck length with, for example, cormorants and anhingas having extreme necks, while penguins and auks have minimized necks. We attached acceleration loggers to Imperial cormorants Phalacrocorax atriceps and Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus, both foraging in waters over the Patagonian Shelf, to examine the difference in movement between their respective heads and bodies in an attempt to explain this dichotomy. The penguins had head and body attitudes and movements that broadly concurred throughout all phases of their dives. By contrast, although the cormorants followed this pattern during the descent and ascent phases of dives, during the bottom (foraging) phase of the dive, the head angle differed widely from that of the body and its dynamism (measured using vectorial dynamic acceleration) was over four times greater. A simple model indicated that having the head on an extended neck would allow these cormorants to half the energy expenditure that they would expend if their body moved in the way their heads did. This apparently energy-saving solution is likely to lead to greater heat loss though and would seem tenable in slow-swimming species because the loss of streamlining that it engenders would make it detrimental for fast-swimming taxa such as penguins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory P Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET, Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Juan-Emilio Sala
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET, Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | | | - Mark D Holton
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET, Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
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11
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Thaxter CB, Clark NA, Ross-Smith VH, Conway GJ, Bouten W, Burton NHK. Sample size required to characterize area use of tracked seabirds. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris B. Thaxter
- British Trust for Ornithology; The Nunnery; Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU UK
| | - Nigel A. Clark
- British Trust for Ornithology; The Nunnery; Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU UK
| | | | - Greg J. Conway
- British Trust for Ornithology; The Nunnery; Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU UK
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology; Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics; University of Amsterdam; Sciencepark 904 1098 XH Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Niall H. K. Burton
- British Trust for Ornithology; The Nunnery; Thetford Norfolk IP24 2PU UK
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12
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Camprasse ECM, Cherel Y, Arnould JPY, Hoskins AJ, Bost CA. Combined bio-logging and stable isotopes reveal individual specialisations in a benthic coastal seabird, the Kerguelen shag. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172278. [PMID: 28264057 PMCID: PMC5338780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual specialisations, which involve the repetition of specific behaviours or dietary choices over time, have been suggested to benefit animals by avoiding competition with conspecifics and increasing individual foraging efficiency. Among seabirds, resident and benthic species are thought to be good models to study inter-individual variation as they repetitively exploit the same environment. We investigated foraging behaviour, isotopic niche and diet in the Kerguelen shag Phalacrocorax verrucosus during both the incubation and chick-rearing periods for the same individuals to determine the effect of sex, breeding stage, body mass and morphometrics on mean foraging metrics and their consistency. There were large differences between individuals in foraging behaviour and consistency, with strong individual specialisations in dive depths and heading from the colony. Stable isotopes revealed specialisations in feeding strategies, across multiple temporal scales. Specifically, individuals showed medium term specialisations in feeding strategies during the breeding season, as well as long-term consistency. A clustering analysis revealed 4 different foraging strategies displaying significantly different δ15N values and body masses. There were no sex or stage biases to clusters and individuals in different clusters did not differ in their morphology. Importantly, the results suggest that the different strategies emphasized were related to individual prey preferences rather than intrinsic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie C. M. Camprasse
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University (Burwood Campus), Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d’Etudes Biologique de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, Deux-Sèvres, France
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University (Burwood Campus), Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Hoskins
- CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Charles-André Bost
- Centre d’Etudes Biologique de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, Deux-Sèvres, France
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13
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Dehnhard N, Ludynia K, Masello JF, Voigt CC, McGill RAR, Quillfeldt P. Plasticity in foraging behaviour and diet buffers effects of inter-annual environmental differences on chick growth and survival in southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome. Polar Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-015-1887-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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14
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Craig EC, King DT, Sparks JP, Curtis PD. Aquaculture depredation by double-crested cormorants breeding in Eastern North America. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C. Craig
- Field of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, Cornell University; Fernow Hall, Ithaca NY 14853; USA
| | - D. Tommy King
- United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services; National Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi Field Station, P.O. Box 6099; Mississippi State, MS 39762 USA
| | - Jed P. Sparks
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology; Cornell University; Corson Hall Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Paul D. Curtis
- Department of Natural Resources; Cornell University; Fernow Hall Ithaca NY 14853 USA
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Gómez-Laich A, Yoda K, Zavalaga C, Quintana F. Selfies of Imperial Cormorants (Phalacrocorax atriceps): What Is Happening Underwater? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136980. [PMID: 26367384 PMCID: PMC4569182 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last few years, the development of animal-borne still cameras and video recorders has enabled researchers to observe what a wild animal sees in the field. In the present study, we deployed miniaturized video recorders to investigate the underwater foraging behavior of Imperial cormorants (Phalacrocorax atriceps). Video footage was obtained from 12 animals and 49 dives comprising a total of 8.1 h of foraging data. Video information revealed that Imperial cormorants are almost exclusively benthic feeders. While foraging along the seafloor, animals did not necessarily keep their body horizontal but inclined it downwards. The head of the instrumented animal was always visible in the videos and in the majority of the dives it was moved constantly forward and backward by extending and contracting the neck while travelling on the seafloor. Animals detected prey at very short distances, performed quick capture attempts and spent the majority of their time on the seafloor searching for prey. Cormorants foraged at three different sea bottom habitats and the way in which they searched for food differed between habitats. Dives were frequently performed under low luminosity levels suggesting that cormorants would locate prey with other sensory systems in addition to sight. Our video data support the idea that Imperial cormorants’ efficient hunting involves the use of specialized foraging techniques to compensate for their poor underwater vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CENPAT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn (U9120ACD), Chubut, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Ken Yoda
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464–8601, Japan
| | - Carlos Zavalaga
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464–8601, Japan
- Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Científica del Sur, Carretera Antigua, Panamericana Sur km 19, Lima 42, Perú
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CENPAT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn (U9120ACD), Chubut, Argentina
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Amenabar 1595, (C1426AKC), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Wilson RP, Liebsch N, Gómez-Laich A, Kay WP, Bone A, Hobson VJ, Siebert U. Options for modulating intra-specific competition in colonial pinnipeds: the case of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in the Wadden Sea. PeerJ 2015; 3:e957. [PMID: 26082869 PMCID: PMC4465952 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Colonial pinnipeds may be subject to substantial consumptive competition because they are large, slow-moving central place foragers. We examined possible mechanisms for reducing this competition by examining the diving behaviour of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) after equipping 34 seals (11 females, 23 males) foraging from three locations; Rømø, Denmark and Lorenzenplate and Helgoland, Germany, in the Wadden Sea area with time-depth recorders. Analysis of 319,021 dives revealed little between-colony variation but appreciable inter-sex differences, with males diving deeper than females, but for shorter periods. Males also had higher vertical descent rates. This result suggests that males may have higher overall swim speeds, which would increase higher oxygen consumption, and may explain the shorter dive durations compared to females. Intersex variation in swim speed alone is predicted to lead to fundamental differences in the time use of three-dimensional space, which may help reduce consumptive competition in harbour seals and other colonial pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory P Wilson
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University , Swansea, Wales , UK ; GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Düsternbrooker , Kiel , Germany
| | - Nikolai Liebsch
- Customized Animal Tracking Solutions , Moffat Beach, QLD , Australia
| | - Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Centro Nacional Patagonico-CONICET , Puerto Madryn (U9120ACD), Chubut , Argentina
| | - William P Kay
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University , Swansea, Wales , UK
| | - Andrew Bone
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University , Swansea, Wales , UK
| | - Victoria J Hobson
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University , Swansea, Wales , UK
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover , Büsum , Germany
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Schulz UH, Krüger L, Petry MV. Southern giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus nest attendance patterns under extreme weather conditions. Zoolog Sci 2014; 31:501-6. [PMID: 25088590 DOI: 10.2108/zs130135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Differences in nest attendance between genders in seabirds may be related to morphological differences. Southern giant petrel is a dimorphic species with gender-specific foraging behavior. The objective of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in nest attendance during the breeding period of southern giant petrels by presence/absence patterns of both sexes during incubation and compare use of the colony after nest failure. Fourteen birds were tagged with digitally coded radio-transmitters in a colony at Elephant Island, Antarctica, in the beginning of 2009/2010 breeding season. Females were present during 18 periods (min. 3 days, max. 9 days) and males only in five periods (min. 2 days, max. 13 days). The difference in mean number of radio signals per day between females (4330; s.e. 313.5) and males (2691; s.e. 248.6) was highly significant (t = 4.3; d.f. = 199; P < 0.001; Fig. 4 ). As consequence of the severe weather conditions that year, all tagged birds failed to reproduce. After abandonment of the nests, the presence of both genders decreased drastically, although the tagged individuals stayed in the area. Under severe weather conditions female Southern Giant Petrels continue breeding while males abandon the nest earlier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Horst Schulz
- 1 Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos, 950 CEP 93022-00, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Calderón L, Quintana F, Cabanne GS, Lougheed SC, Tubaro PL. Phylogeography and genetic structure of two Patagonian shag species (Aves: Phalacrocoracidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2014; 72:42-53. [PMID: 24418531 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We compared the phylogeographic and genetic structure of two sympatric shag species, Phalacrocorax magellanicus (rock shag) and Phalacrocorax atriceps (imperial shag), from Patagonia (southern South America). We used multilocus genotypes of nuclear DNA (microsatellite loci) from 324 individuals and mitochondrial DNA sequences (ATPase) from 177 individuals, to evaluate hypotheses related to the effect of physical and non-physical barriers on seabird evolution. Despite sharing many ecological traits, the focal species strongly differ in two key aspects: P. magellanicus has a strong tendency to remain at/near their breeding colonies during foraging trips and the non-breeding season, while P. atriceps exhibits the converse pattern. Both species showed similar mtDNA genetic structure, where colonies from the Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast and Fuegian region were genetically divergent. We also found similarities in the results of Bayesian clustering analysis of microsatellites, with both species having four clusters. However population differentiation (e.g. Fst, Φst) was higher in P. magellanicus compared to P. atriceps, and average membership probabilities of individuals to specific clusters (Q-values) were also higher in the former. Phalacrocorax magellanicus has strong phylogeographic structure, consistent with the impact of Pleistocene glaciations, with diagnostic haplotypes associated with each of the three mentioned regions. The same pattern was not as evident for P. atriceps. Migration rate estimators were higher for P. atriceps than for P. magellanicus; however both species followed an n-island-like model of gene flow, this implies that dispersal occurs across the continental land mass that separates Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Our results supported the hypothesis that non-physical barriers are important drivers of the genetic and phylogeographic structure in seabirds, and also that physical barriers constitute effective but not absolute impediments to gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Calderón
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", CONICET, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Biología y Manejo de Recursos Acuáticos, Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Blvd. Brown 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina; Wildlife Conservation Society, Amenabar 1595, C1426AKC Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo S Cabanne
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", CONICET, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Stephen C Lougheed
- Queen's University, Department of Biology, Kingston, Ontario K7L3N6, Canada
| | - Pablo L Tubaro
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", CONICET, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Soanes LM, Arnould JPY, Dodd SG, Milligan G, Green JA. Factors affecting the foraging behaviour of the European shag: implications for seabird tracking studies. MARINE BIOLOGY 2014; 161:1335-1348. [PMID: 24882884 PMCID: PMC4033789 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-014-2422-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Seabird tracking has become an ever more popular tool to aid environmental procedures such as the designation of marine protected areas and environmental impact assessments. However, samples used are usually small and little consideration is given to experimental design and sampling protocol. European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis were tracked using GPS technology over three breeding seasons and the following foraging trip characteristics: trip duration, trip distance, maximum distance travelled from the colony, size of area used and direction travelled from colony were determined for each foraging trip. The effect of sex, year of study, breeding site, number and age of chicks and the timing of tracking on foraging behaviour were investigated using a General Estimation Equation model. A range of sampling scenarios reflecting likely field sampling were also tested to compare how foraging behaviour differed depending on composition of the sample of birds tracked. Trip distance, trip duration, maximum distance travelled and size of area used were all significantly affected by the breeding site, and the number of chicks a tracked adult was raising. The effect of sex was also seen when examining trip distance, trip duration and the maximum distance travelled. The direction travelled on a foraging trip was also significantly affected by breeding site. This study highlights the importance of sampling regime and the influence that year, sex, age, number of chicks and breeding site can have on the foraging trip characteristics for this coastal feeding seabird. Given the logistical and financial constraints in tracking large numbers of individuals, this study identifies the need for researchers to consider the composition of their study sample to ensure any identified foraging areas are as representative as possible of the whole colony's foraging area.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. M. Soanes
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GP UK
| | - J. P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, 3215 Australia
| | - S. G. Dodd
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, North Wales Office, Bangor, LL57 4FD UK
| | - G. Milligan
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GP UK
| | - J. A. Green
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GP UK
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Ratcliffe N, Takahashi A, O'Sullivan C, Adlard S, Trathan PN, Harris MP, Wanless S. The roles of sex, mass and individual specialisation in partitioning foraging-depth niches of a pursuit-diving predator. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79107. [PMID: 24205368 PMCID: PMC3804524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra-specific foraging niche partitioning can arise due to gender differences or individual specialisation in behaviour or prey selection. These may in turn be related to sexual size dimorphism or individual variation in body size through allometry. These variables are often inter-related and challenging to separate statistically. We present a case study in which the effects of sex, body mass and individual specialisation on the dive depths of the South Georgia shag on Bird Island, South Georgia are investigated simultaneously using a linear mixed model. The nested random effects of trip within individual explained a highly significant amount of the variance. The effects of sex and body mass were both significant independently but could not be separated statistically owing to them being strongly interrelated. Variance components analysis revealed that 45.5% of the variation occurred among individuals, 22.6% among trips and 31.8% among Dives, while R2 approximations showed gender explained 31.4% and body mass 55.9% of the variation among individuals. Male dive depths were more variable than those of females at the levels of individual, trip and dive. The effect of body mass on individual dive depths was only marginally significant within sexes. The percentage of individual variation in dive depths explained by mass was trivial in males (0.8%) but substantial in females (24.1%), suggesting that differences in dive depths among males was largely due to them adopting different behavioural strategies whereas in females allometry played an additional role. Niche partitioning in the study population therefore appears to be achieved through the interactive effects of individual specialisation and gender upon vertical foraging patch selection, and has the potential to interact in complex ways with other axes of the niche hypervolume such as foraging locations, timing of foraging and diet.
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Soanes LM, Arnould JPY, Dodd SG, Sumner MD, Green JA. How many seabirds do we need to track to define home-range area? J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Louise M. Soanes
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool; L69 3GP; UK
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Burwood; Vic.; 3215; Australia
| | - Stephen G. Dodd
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; North Wales Office; Bangor; LL57 4FD; UK
| | - Michael D. Sumner
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies; University of Tasmania; Private Bag 129; Hobart; Tas.; 8001; Australia
| | - Jonathan A. Green
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool; L69 3GP; UK
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Cook TR, Lescroël A, Cherel Y, Kato A, Bost CA. Can foraging ecology drive the evolution of body size in a diving endotherm? PLoS One 2013; 8:e56297. [PMID: 23409169 PMCID: PMC3567052 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Within a single animal species, different morphs can allow for differential exploitation of foraging niches between populations, while sexual size dimorphism can provide each sex with access to different resources. Despite being potentially important agents of evolution, resource polymorphisms, and the way they operate in wild populations, remain poorly understood. In this study, we examine how trophic factors can select for different body sizes between populations and sexes in a diving endotherm. Dive depth and duration are positively related to body size in diving birds and mammals, a relationship explained by a lower mass-specific metabolic rate and greater oxygen stores in larger individuals. Based on this allometry, we predict that selection for exploiting resources situated at different depths can drive the evolution of body size in species of diving endotherms at the population and sexual level. To test this prediction, we studied the foraging ecology of Blue-eyed Shags, a group of cormorants with male-biased sexual size dimorphism from across the Southern Ocean. We found that mean body mass and relative difference in body mass between sexes varied by up to 77% and 107% between neighbouring colonies, respectively. Birds from colonies with larger individuals dived deeper than birds from colonies with smaller individuals, when accounting for sex. In parallel, males dived further offshore and deeper than females and the sexual difference in dive depth reflected the level of sexual size dimorphism at each colony. We argue that body size in this group of birds is under intense selection for diving to depths of profitable benthic prey patches and that, locally, sexual niche divergence selection can exaggerate the sexual size dimorphism of Blue-eyed Shags initially set up by sexual selection. Our findings suggest that trophic resources can select for important geographic micro-variability in body size between populations and sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée R Cook
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Centre of Excellence (Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
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Svagelj WS, Magdalena Trivellini M, Quintana F. Parental Investment Theory and Nest Defence by Imperial Shags: Effects of Offspring Number, Offspring Age, Laying Date and Parent Sex. Ethology 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2011.02003.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Williams SC, McBrayer LD. Attack-based indices, not movement patterns, reveal intraspecific variation in foraging behavior. Behav Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arr082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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