Recent prey capture experience and dynamic habitat quality mediate short-term foraging site fidelity in a seabird.

ABSTRACT: Foraging site fidelity allows animals to increase their efficiency by returning to profitable feeding areas. However, the mechanisms underpinning why animals 'stay' or 'switch' sites have rarely been investigated. Here, we explore how habitat quality and prior prey capture experience influence short-term site fidelity by the little penguin (Eudyptula minor). Using 88 consecutive foraging trips by 20 brooding penguins, we found that site fidelity was higher after foraging trips where environmental conditions were favourable, and after trips where prey capture success was high. When penguins exhibited lower site fidelity, the number of prey captures relative to the previous trip increased, suggesting that switches in foraging location were an adaptive strategy in response to low prey

SUBMITTER: Carroll G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6083261 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature