Exploration behaviour and foraging strategies in Mediterranean blue tits
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Published:2022-09-07
Issue:
Volume:
Page:287-298
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ISSN:2014-928X
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Container-title:Animal Biodiversity and Conservation
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Anim. Biodiv. Conserv.
Author:
Velasco A. C.1ORCID,
Ferrer E. S.1,
Sanz J. J.1ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
Abstract
Animal behaviour is potentially a mechanism of individual diet specialization. To explore this possibility we assessed exploratory behaviour (EB) and foraging data for a population of blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus. Our results suggest that: 1) foraging differs between sexes; 2) the prey type selected by females depends on the provisioning rates of their mate, and adjustment of this prey-choice differs between EB phenotypes; and 3) foraging behaviour in males shows a trend towards linkage to their EB phenotype, with faster-exploring males obtaining marginally larger caterpillars but provisioning less frequently than slower-exploring males. Lastly, environmental variables contributed substantially to the diet composition of offspring. For this reason, we cannot suggest that EB dominates, but it may contribute to a diet specialization process in our study population.
Publisher
Consorci del Museu de Ciencies Naturals de Barcelona
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Animal Science and Zoology