Sex-Specific Variation in Foraging Behavior is Related to Telomere Length in a Long-Lived Seabird

Area of Science:

• Avian ecology
• Behavioral ecology
• Molecular ecology

Background:

• Foraging during breeding is energetically demanding and may reflect an individual's quality.
• Telomere length, a marker of somatic maintenance, is proposed as an indicator of individual quality.
• This study explores the link between telomere length, foraging behavior, and reproductive investment in seabirds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between telomere length, body mass, and foraging behavior in breeding brown boobies (Sula leucogaster).
• To determine if foraging behavior and provisioning effort are influenced by telomere length or body mass.
• To assess the impact of foraging and provisioning on chick mass growth rate.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected to estimate telomere length.
• Body mass was measured, and foraging behavior was tracked using GPS loggers for 10 days.
• Chick provisioning rates and mass growth rates were recorded for 34 breeding pairs.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation was found between parents' body mass and telomere length.
• Female brown boobies with longer telomeres exhibited longer foraging trips to offshore waters.
• Male brown boobies with longer telomeres engaged in more nearshore foraging trips; chick provisioning rate was independent of telomere length or body mass.

Conclusions:

• Telomere length serves as an indicator of individual quality, driving sex-specific foraging strategies in brown boobies.
• Female offshore foraging positively influenced chick mass growth rate, suggesting an indirect effect of individual quality on offspring development.
• Foraging behavior variation, linked to telomere length, plays a role in offspring condition, highlighting the importance of individual quality in reproductive success.