Foraging behaviour and habitat use by brown skuas Stercorarius lonnbergi breeding at South Georgia

On the basis of opportunistic observations, the preferred habitats of diurnal raptors in the south-west of the Northern Territory are quantified in terms of their vegetation structures and composition, and linked with foraging methods and information on local diets. Broad interspecific differences in diel activity patterns are also described. The evidence suggests that raptor species in this part of arid Australia differ with respect to their foraging times, habitats and methods, and that these differences relate to their partitioning of food resources.

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Occurrence and habitat use of Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni) in the Cabo Frio region, South-eastern Brazil

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s002531541600134x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 98 (5) ◽

pp. 1081-1086 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Israel S. Maciel ◽

Rodrigo H. Tardin ◽

Sheila M. Simão

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Field Trips ◽

South Eastern ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

Water Depths ◽

Cabo Frio

Ninety-six field trips were conducted between summer 2010 and 2012 in order to understand the occurrence and habitat use of Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) in the Cabo Frio region, South-eastern Brazil. Bryde's whales were present in the study area between November and July, being observed during all seasons, but occur more frequently during the autumn (Nindividuals = 16) and spring (Nindividuals = 13), followed by summer (Nindividuals = 5) and winter (Nindividuals = 2), respectively. Bryde's whales were observed in water depths ranging from 20.1–100 m. Furthermore, during 2240 min of video recordings, the most frequent behaviour observed was foraging (40.2%; 900 min). Travelling comprised 28.1% (630 min) of observations, while in 33.1% (710 min) behaviour could not be determined. Taking into account the pattern of occurrence, the use of deeper bathymetric bins and the frequency observed, the foraging behaviour of Bryde's whales observed in our study seems to be associated to prey dynamics. Our data show that the study area is frequently used for foraging by this species in Brazilian waters.

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Habitat use by yellowheads,Mohoua ochrocephala(Aves: Muscicapidae), in the Hawdon River Valley, Arthur’s Pass National Park. 2. Time budgets and foraging behaviour

New Zealand Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1080/03014223.1988.10422627 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 471-480 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Andrew F. Read

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

National Park ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

River Valley ◽

Time Budgets

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Using Predicted Patterns of 3D Prey Distribution to Map King Penguin Foraging Habitat

Frontiers in Marine Science ◽

10.3389/fmars.2021.745200 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Roland Proud ◽

Camille Le Guen ◽

Richard B. Sherley ◽

Akiko Kato ◽

Yan Ropert-Coudert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Austral Summer ◽

Acoustic Energy ◽

King Penguin ◽

The South ◽

Fish Schools ◽

South Georgia ◽

Mesopelagic Zone ◽

Acoustic Surveys

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are an iconic Southern Ocean species, but the prey distributions that underpin their at-sea foraging tracks and diving behaviour remain unclear. We conducted simultaneous acoustic surveys off South Georgia and tracking of king penguins breeding ashore there in Austral summer 2017 to gain insight into habitat use and foraging behaviour. Acoustic surveys revealed ubiquitous deep scattering layers (DSLs; acoustically detected layers of fish and other micronekton that inhabit the mesopelagic zone) at c. 500 m and shallower ephemeral fish schools. Based on DNA extracted from penguin faecal samples, these schools were likely comprised of lanternfish (an important component of king penguin diets), icefish (Channichthyidae spp.) and painted noties (Lepidonotothen larseni). Penguins did not dive as deep as DSLs, but their prey-encounter depth-distributions, as revealed by biologging, overlapped at fine scale (10s of m) with depths of acoustically detected fish schools. We used neural networks to predict local scale (10 km) fish echo intensity and depth distribution at penguin dive locations based on environmental correlates, and developed models of habitat use. Habitat modelling revealed that king penguins preferentially foraged at locations predicted to have shallow and dense (high acoustic energy) fish schools associated with shallow and dense DSLs. These associations could be used to predict the distribution of king penguins from other colonies at South Georgia for which no tracking data are available, and to identify areas of potential ecological significance within the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands marine protected area.

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Spatio-temporal patterns of foraging behaviour in a wide-ranging seabird reveal the role of primary productivity in locating prey

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps13386 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 646 ◽

pp. 175-188

Author(s):

A Kane ◽

E Pirotta ◽

S Wischnewski ◽

EJ Critchley ◽

A Bennison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Food Resource ◽

Biotic Interactions ◽

Central Place ◽

Ocean Dynamics ◽

Environmental Predictors ◽

Nocturnal Foraging ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

Marine Productivity

Predicting the distribution and behaviour of animals is a fundamental objective in ecology and a cornerstone of conservation biology. Modelling the distribution of ocean-faring species like seabirds remains a significant challenge due to ocean dynamics, colony-specific effects and the vast ranges seabirds can cover. We used a spatial and behavioural approach to model the distribution of the Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus, a pelagic, central-place forager that can cover great distances while foraging. GPS data from birds tagged in 2 colonies over 3 yr were modelled with a range of environmental predictors of marine productivity. For both colonies, transitions to foraging behaviour correlated with chlorophyll a, and the distribution of foraging behaviour was also associated with areas of high chlorophyll a concentration in coastal but not offshore areas for one colony. Furthermore, there was evidence for colony differences in habitat use, prevalence of nocturnal foraging, and for some competitive exclusion on foraging grounds, even though the colonies were 170 km apart. Despite the extensive dataset, our models had modest predictive power, which we suggest can probably only be improved by including biotic interactions, including more direct measures of food resource distribution. Our results highlight the importance of including spatial complexity and data from multiple sites when predicting the distribution of wide-ranging predators, because patterns of distribution and habitat use likely differ across the range of a population.

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Foraging behaviour and habitat use by Antechinus flavipes and Sminthopsis murina (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in response to predation risk in eucalypt woodland

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.biocon.2003.12.012 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 117 (3) ◽

pp. 331-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Vicki L Stokes ◽

Roger P Pech ◽

Peter B Banks ◽

Anthony D Arthur

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Predation Risk ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Eucalypt Woodland

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Habitat and nest-site partitioning in splendid and variegated fairy-wrens (Aves : Maluridae)

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo99014 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 47 (4) ◽

pp. 317 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Elizabeth Tibbetts ◽

Stephen Pruett-Jones

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Interspecific Competition ◽

Similar Pattern ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Nest Site ◽

Interspecific Interactions ◽

Territory Size ◽

Sympatric Populations ◽

Nest Placement

Territory size, interspecific interactions, foraging behaviour, habitat use, and nest placement were examined in sympatric populations of splendid (Malurus splendens melanotus) and variegated (M. lamberti assimilis) fairy-wrens. Although these species have similar patterns of life history and biology, they utilise different microhabitats within overlapping territories. Splendid fairy-wrens spent more time on the ground and in open areas, whereas variegated fairy-wrens generally preferred higher and more protected locations. The two species exhibited a similar pattern of separation with respect to foraging behaviour, as splendid fairy- wrens mainly foraged on the ground whereas variegated fairy-wrens preferred bushes. They also partitioned nesting habitat, with splendid fairy-wrens building nests in areas with a greater density of trees than variegated fairy-wrens. Further, splendid fairy-wrens built nests in larger shrubs and farther from the edge of these bushes than variegated fairy-wrens. We suggest that these differences in habitat use decrease interspecific competition between the two species.

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