Data from: Influence of density-dependent competition on foraging and migratory behavior of a subtropical colonial seabird

Citation
Lamb JS, Satgé YG, Jodice PGR. 2017. Data from: Influence of density-dependent competition on foraging and migratory behavior of a subtropical colonial seabird. Movebank Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.5441/001/1.7856r086
Abstract
Density-dependent competition for food resources influences both foraging ecology and reproduction in a variety of animals. The relationship between colony size, local prey depletion, and reproductive output in colonial central-place foragers has been extensively studied in seabirds; however, most studies have focused on effects of in- traspecific competition during the breeding season, while little is known about whether density-dependent resource depletion influences individual migratory behavior out- side the breeding season. Using breeding colony size as a surrogate for intraspecific resource competition, we tested for effects of colony size on breeding home range, nestling health, and migratory patterns of a nearshore colonial seabird, the brown peli- can (Pelecanus occidentalis), originating from seven breeding colonies of varying sizes in the subtropical northern Gulf of Mexico. We found evidence for density-dependent effects on foraging behavior during the breeding season, as individual foraging areas increased linearly with the number of breeding pairs per colony. Contrary to our pre- dictions, however, nestlings from more numerous colonies with larger foraging ranges did not experience either decreased condition or increased stress. During nonbreed- ing, individuals from larger colonies were more likely to migrate, and traveled longer distances, than individuals from smaller colonies, indicating that the influence of density-dependent effects on distribution persists into the nonbreeding period. We also found significant effects of individual physical condition, particularly body size, on migratory behavior, which in combination with colony size suggesting that dominant individuals remain closer to breeding sites during winter. We conclude that density- dependent competition may be an important driver of both the extent of foraging ranges and the degree of migration exhibited by brown pelicans. However, the effects of density-dependent competition on breeding success and population regulation remain uncertain in this system.
Keywords
Pelecanus occidentalis,animal movement,animal tracking,Argos,avian migration,brown pelican,movement ecology,Pelecanus occidentalis,satellite telemetry
Taxa
Taxon
Pelecanus occidentalis
Brown Pelican
Sensors
Sensor
GPS
Related Workflows
DOIs of related Publications
BibTex
@misc{001/1_7856r086,
  title = {Data from: Influence of density-dependent competition on foraging and migratory behavior of a subtropical colonial seabird},
  author = {Lamb, JS and Satgé, YG and Jodice, PGR},
  year = {2017},
  URL = {http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.7856r086},
  doi = {doi:10.5441/001/1.7856r086},
  publisher = {Movebank data repository}
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
ID  - doi:10.5441/001/1.7856r086
T1  - Data from: Influence of density-dependent competition on foraging and migratory behavior of a subtropical colonial seabird
AU  - Lamb, Juliet S.
AU  - Satgé, Yvan G.
AU  - Jodice, Patrick G.R.
Y1  - 2017/07/26
KW  - Pelecanus occidentalis
KW  - animal foraging
KW  - animal movement
KW  - animal tracking
KW  - Argos
KW  - avian migration
KW  - brown pelican
KW  - movement ecology
KW  - Pelecanus occidentalis
KW  - satellite telemetry
KW  - Pelecanus occidentalis
PB  - Movebank data repository
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.7856r086
DO  - doi:10.5441/001/1.7856r086
ER  -
Collections