Sex‐specific prey partitioning in breeding piscivorous birds examined via a novel, noninvasive approach

• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4421
• Publication Date: 2018-08-14T08:41:28Z
• Authors: Bettina Thalinger; Johannes Oehm; Christiane Zeisler; Julia Vorhauser; Michael Traugott
• Keywords: Cormorant; Rutilus; Piscivore; Coregonus; Forage fish; Prey detection

Piscivorous birds frequently display sex-specific differences in their hunting and feeding behavior, which lead to diverging impacts on prey populations. Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), for example, were previously studied examine dietary between the sexes males found consume larger fish coastal areas during autumn winter. However, information partitioning breeding generally foraging inland waters is missing. Here, we assess choice of Great (Phalacrocorax carbo) two subsequent seasons Central European Alpine foreland, an area characterized by numerous stagnant flowing close proximity each other. We developed a unique, noninvasive approach applied it regurgitated pellets: molecular cormorant sexing combined with identification fish-length regression analysis performed hard parts. Altogether, 364 pellets delivered both, bird sex, consumed prey. The differed significantly overall composition, even though Perca fluviatilis, Rutilus rutilus, Coregonus spp. represented main food source both. Albeit composition did not indicate use different water bodies sexes, male diet was higher diversity within pellet consumption fish. current findings show that female cormorants some extent target available spectrum at levels. Finally, comprehensive has great potential application studies other piscivorous species.