Breeding Partners Have Dissimilar Foraging Strategies in a Long-Lived Arctic Seabird.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Avian Biology
• Reproductive Strategies

Background:

• Biparental care species require mate coordination for successful reproduction.
• Complementary foraging strategies, not just high success, may be vital for offspring survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if breeding partners in thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) exhibit similar or dissimilar foraging strategies.
• To determine if mate compatibility in foraging behavior is linked to reproductive success in this species.

Main Methods:

• GPS accelerometers were attached to both partners in 40 breeding pairs of thick-billed murres.
• Foraging trip distance and dive numbers were analyzed for individual birds within pairs.
• Comparison was made between actual breeding pairs and randomized pairs.

Main Results:

• Thick-billed murre breeding partners showed dissimilar foraging trip distances and dive numbers compared to randomized pairs.
• Breeding partners were more similar in wing length than randomized pairs, potentially indicating partner selection based on individual quality.
• Foraging strategy diversity was observed within breeding pairs.

Conclusions:

• Thick-billed murre breeding pairs do not share similar foraging strategies; they exhibit complementary ones.
• Foraging strategy diversity is maintained possibly due to partner preference for complementary strategies or divergence over time.
• Mate choice may involve selecting partners with complementary foraging behaviors or similar individual quality indicators like size.