Age- and sex-related dietary specialization facilitate seasonal resource partitioning in a migratory shorebird.

ABSTRACT: Dietary specialization is common in animals and has important implications for individual fitness, inter- and intraspecific competition, and the adaptive potential of a species. Diet composition can be influenced by age- and sex-related factors including an individual's morphology, social status, and acquired skills; however, specialization may only be necessary when competition is intensified by high population densities or increased energetic demands.To better understand the role of age- and sex-related dietary specialization in facilitating seasonal resource partitioning, we inferred the contribution of biofilm, microphytobenthos, and benthic invertebrates to the diets of western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) from different demographic groups during mid-winter (January/February) an

SUBMITTER: Hall LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7882968 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature