Sexual-size dimorphism modulates the trade-off between exploiting food and wind resources in a large avian scavenger.

ABSTRACT: Animals are expected to synchronize activity routines with the temporal patterns at which resources appear in nature. Accordingly, species that depend on resources showing temporally mismatched patterns should be expected to schedule routines that balance the chances of exploiting each of them. Large avian scavengers depend on carcasses which are more likely available early in the morning, but they also depend on wind resources (i.e. uplifts) to subside flight which are stronger in afternoon hours. To understand how these birds deal with this potential trade-off, we studied the daily routines of GPS-tagged individuals of the world's largest terrestrial soaring scavenger, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). Andean condors vary largely in weight and show a huge sexual dimorphism that allowed

SUBMITTER: Alarcon PAE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5597617 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature