Group size and foraging efficiency in yellow baboons

Peter B. Stacey

doi:10.1007/bf00290821

Group size modulates time budget and foraging efficiency in captive Skylarks, Alauda arvensis

Journal of Ornithology ◽

10.1007/s10336-011-0764-4 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 153 (2) ◽

pp. 485-490 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Thibaut Powolny ◽

Cyril Eraud ◽

Vincent Bretagnolle

Keyword(s):

Group Size ◽

Time Budget ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Alauda Arvensis

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Quadratic relationships between group size and foraging efficiency in a herbivorous primate

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-018-35255-0 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Cyril C. Grueter ◽

Andrew M. Robbins ◽

Didier Abavandimwe ◽

Veronica Vecellio ◽

Felix Ndagijimana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Group Size ◽

Foraging Efficiency

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Up for grabs: prey herding by penguins facilitates shallow foraging by volant seabirds

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.190333 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

pp. 190333 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. M. McInnes ◽

P. A. Pistorius

Keyword(s):

Group Size ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Vertical Displacement ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Shallow Waters ◽

Foraging Success ◽

Seabird Species ◽

Marine Communities ◽

Prey Biomass ◽

Strong Inverse Relationship

Visual and olfactory signals are commonly used by seabirds to locate prey in the horizontal domain, but foraging success depends on prey depth and the seabird's ability to access it. Facilitation by diving seabirds has long been hypothesized as a mechanism to elevate deep prey to regions more accessible to volant seabirds, but this has never been demonstrated empirically. Footage from animal-borne video loggers deployed on African penguins was analysed to establish if volant seabird encounters involved active cuing by seabirds on penguins to obtain prey and, during mutual prey encounters, if interactions were driven by the vertical displacement of prey by penguins. Independent of prey biomass estimates, we found a strong inverse relationship between penguin group size, a proxy for visibility, and the time elapsed from the start of penguins' dive bouts to their first encounter with other seabirds. Most mutual prey encounters (7 of 10) involved schooling prey elevated from depths greater than 33 m by penguins and only pursued by other seabird species once prey was herded into shallow waters. This is likely to enhance foraging efficiency in volant seabird species. As such, penguins may be integral to important processes that influence the structure and integrity of marine communities.

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Group-foraging is not associated with longevity in North American birds

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2009.0691 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 42-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Guy Beauchamp

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Group Size ◽

North American ◽

Life History Theory ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Passerine Birds ◽

Group Foraging ◽

Evolutionary Transitions ◽

Age At First Reproduction ◽

First Reproduction

Group-foraging is common in many animal taxa and is thought to offer protection against predators and greater foraging efficiency. Such benefits may have driven evolutionary transitions from solitary to group-foraging. Greater protection against predators and greater access to resources should reduce extrinsic sources of mortality and thus select for higher longevity according to life-history theory. I assessed the association between group-foraging and longevity in a sample of 421 North American birds. Taking into account known correlates of longevity, such as age at first reproduction and body mass, foraging group size was not correlated with maximum longevity, with and without phylogenetic correction. However, longevity increased with body mass in non-passerine birds. The results suggest that the hypothesized changes in predation risk with group size may not correlate with mortality rate in foraging birds.

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Factors affecting the individual foraging behavior in a threatened seabird: Olrog’s Gull (Larus atlanticus) as a case study

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2020-0203 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Francisco Zumpano ◽

Melina Vanesa Castano ◽

Marco Favero ◽

Germán Oscar García

Keyword(s):

Foraging Behavior ◽

Group Size ◽

Foraging Ecology ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

Capture Rate ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Feeding Strategies ◽

Foraging Effort ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Olrog’S Gull

The analysis of feeding strategies in animals is one of the most important topics in foraging ecology. The individual’s foraging behavior depends on both the individual’s own actions and the behavior of other foragers. Here we analyse the effect of the sex and group size on the foraging behavior of immature Olrog’s Gull (Larus atlanticus Olrog, 1958), endemic to the Atlantic coast of southern South America and regionally listed a threatened species. Birds were captured, banded, sexed and aged during the non-breeding season in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina. The foraging behavior was quantified by observations made on individuals of known identity, recording the size of foraging groups, as well as prey size and type. Foraging parameters estimated were foraging effort, capture rate and foraging efficiency. Males spent more time in agonistic behavior and captured larger prey. With an increase of group size, the capture rate, the capture of small crabs in males, and foraging effort were higher. The agonistic behaviors, size of consumed prey and foraging effort were affected by individual identity. Our study pinpoints factors underlying variation in the foraging behavior of Olrog’s Gulls and illustrates the importance of modelling individual variation when analyzing foraging behavior.

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The social system of the coyote (Canis latrans) in a forested habitat

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z82-227 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 60 (7) ◽

pp. 1743-1753 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

F. Messier ◽

C. Barrette

Keyword(s):

Social Organization ◽

Group Size ◽

Social System ◽

Canis Latrans ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Profound Change ◽

Extended Families ◽

The Social ◽

Pup Survival ◽

Breeding Groups

We studied the social organization of forest-living coyotes (Canis latrans) for 20 months. The four breeding groups in our study area were territorial. The size and shape of their territories remained unchanged despite the sudden and profound change in prey distribution in December as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) congregated yearly in a winter yard. Solitary adults lived on overlapping areas that ignored the breeding groups' territories. Some juveniles lived on their parents' territory but were not always associated with them. During the winter (November–April) 35% of the coyotes were in packs of three to five animals, 28% in pairs, and 37% solitary. Animals that were usually solitary almost never congregated to form temporary groups, and members of pairs were almost always together. We conclude that territoriality is essential to insure pup survival by increasing the foraging efficiency of parents that must feed sedentary pups. We suggest that individual and immediate advantage is sufficient to explain the late dispersal of pups resulting in the formation of packs. We therefore question the traditional view that larger group size in coyotes and other social carnivores living in extended families evolved to increase foraging efficiency.

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