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Social foraging and the associated benefits of group-living in Cliff Swallows decrease over 40 years.

Charles R Brown1, Mary B Brown1, Stacey L Hannebaum1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104 USA.

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|October 14, 2024
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) show reduced social foraging and information transfer over 40 years. This shift may diminish the fitness benefits of colonial nesting due to changing foraging strategies and environmental conditions.

Keywords:
Petrochelidon pyrrhonotacolonialitydiet compositiongroup-livinginformation transfersocial behaviorsocial foraging

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Animal Behavior
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Social foraging enhances prey location, especially for unpredictable resources.
  • Coloniality can facilitate information transfer among foragers, improving feeding efficiency.
  • Long-term effects of environmental change on social foraging and colonial benefits are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate changes in social foraging, information transfer, and feeding ecology in Cliff Swallows over a 40-year period.
  • To assess how long-term environmental shifts impact foraging strategies and the advantages of colonial nesting.
  • To determine the consequences of altered foraging behavior on Cliff Swallow fitness.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) foraging behavior and feeding ecology in western Nebraska over 40 years (1980s to 2016-2022).
  • Analysis of foraging group size, foraging time, foraging success, diet composition, and information transfer at colony sites.
  • Measurement of nestling and adult body mass, and nestling survival rates in relation to colony size and time period, controlling for ectoparasites.

Main Results:

  • Cliff Swallows exhibited a decline in social foraging, with increased solitary or small-group foraging and reduced time spent foraging.
  • Foraging success as solitaries increased, while feeding occurred in more variable locations, and information transfer at colonies decreased.
  • Nestling body mass and survival declined more sharply with colony size in recent years, and adult body mass decreased over time.
  • Diet diversity increased, with some insect taxa disappearing, though major prey families remained consistent.

Conclusions:

  • Cliff Swallow foraging behavior has become more solitary, with reduced reliance on social information transfer.
  • The fitness benefits associated with colonial nesting appear to have diminished over the 40-year study period.
  • Observed behavioral flexibility highlights dynamic selective pressures influencing the evolution of group-living.