Age and sex-specific foraging movements and energetics in an endangered monomorphic seabird

Abstract

AbstractSenescence is the irreversible decline in physiological functioning and survival with age. While this phenomenon has been studied in a range of different taxa, including seabirds, it has seldom been assessed for both sexes of monomorphic species, and in conservation contexts. Here, we studied the effect of age and sex on the foraging trip characteristics and energetics of the monomorphic Cape gannet (Morus capensis). Between 2017 and 2020, we used GPS recorders and miniaturised three-dimensional accelerometers to obtain data on the foraging trip characteristics and energy expenditure of 39 Cape gannets rearing chicks on Malgas Island, South Africa. This sample included 11 females and 28 males between the ages of 4 and 23 years. No difference in foraging trip characteristics was apparent between sexes or individuals of different ages. The energy expenditure of aging females (> 17 years) was higher than that of aging males. Aging females spent both more energy flying and less energy resting than males, despite similar foraging trip durations and distances. Males spent more energy diving and taking off from the water than females. The age-related sexual differences in energy expenditure presented in our study might reflect niche and/or risk partitioning strategies to ensure adequate provisioning to the chick, or a possible earlier onset of senescence in females relative to males. The higher energy expenditure of aging females, which presumably requires a concomitantly higher energy intake, likely reduces their resilience to environmental change.