Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Cestari, Cesar
Data de Publicação: 2020
Outros Autores: Goncalves, Cristina da Silva [UNESP], Melo, Celine de
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.02316
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/196556
Resumo: Shorebirds join cohesive flocks for safety. The joining of individuals of several species in large heterospecific flocks can optimise individual vigilance and foraging. However, a large number of conspecific individuals in flocks may deplete food resources and increase intraspecific competition. In the present study, we argue that Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird species join large heterospecific flocks in a balanced number as a way of controlling intraspecific competition. We recorded monospecific and heterospecific flocks in urban beaches from southeastern Brazil and annotated the species richness and the number of individuals per bird species per flock. Besides, we recorded the number of people around shorebird flocks to examine any relationship with flock size. We also recorded the foraging rate of the semipalmated plover Charadrius semipalmatus, a common migrant species in the region, as a species model to test competition and vigilance. We hypothesised that this species would exhibit a low foraging rate in scenarios with high intraspecific competition (i.e. large flocks with a high number of conspecifics) and high density of people, which may disturb birds. In the initial results, the density of people did not influence size of monospecific and heterospecific flocks; heterospecific flocks were larger than monospecific flocks, and heterospecific flocks increased in size by the addition of more species rather than more individuals of the same species. These data reflect a decrease in the relative abundance of individuals per species. Additionally, the semipalmated plover foraging rate was reduced in monospecific flocks, flocks with a high relative abundance (and total number) of the specific individuals and flocks surrounded by a high density of people. All these results indicate that shorebirds may adjust flock composition and size according to preferred foraging conditions, i.e. large and balanced heterospecific flocks with less intraspecific competition and less vigilance to potential predators in wintering areas.
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spelling Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competitionbehaviourbiodiversitybirdscoastecological nichemixed-speciesShorebirds join cohesive flocks for safety. The joining of individuals of several species in large heterospecific flocks can optimise individual vigilance and foraging. However, a large number of conspecific individuals in flocks may deplete food resources and increase intraspecific competition. In the present study, we argue that Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird species join large heterospecific flocks in a balanced number as a way of controlling intraspecific competition. We recorded monospecific and heterospecific flocks in urban beaches from southeastern Brazil and annotated the species richness and the number of individuals per bird species per flock. Besides, we recorded the number of people around shorebird flocks to examine any relationship with flock size. We also recorded the foraging rate of the semipalmated plover Charadrius semipalmatus, a common migrant species in the region, as a species model to test competition and vigilance. We hypothesised that this species would exhibit a low foraging rate in scenarios with high intraspecific competition (i.e. large flocks with a high number of conspecifics) and high density of people, which may disturb birds. In the initial results, the density of people did not influence size of monospecific and heterospecific flocks; heterospecific flocks were larger than monospecific flocks, and heterospecific flocks increased in size by the addition of more species rather than more individuals of the same species. These data reflect a decrease in the relative abundance of individuals per species. Additionally, the semipalmated plover foraging rate was reduced in monospecific flocks, flocks with a high relative abundance (and total number) of the specific individuals and flocks surrounded by a high density of people. All these results indicate that shorebirds may adjust flock composition and size according to preferred foraging conditions, i.e. large and balanced heterospecific flocks with less intraspecific competition and less vigilance to potential predators in wintering areas.Univ Fed Uberlandia, Biol Inst, Uberlandia, MG, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Zool Dept, Rio Claro, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Zool Dept, Rio Claro, BrazilWiley-BlackwellUniversidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)Cestari, CesarGoncalves, Cristina da Silva [UNESP]Melo, Celine de2020-12-10T19:48:42Z2020-12-10T19:48:42Z2020-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/article8http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.02316Journal Of Avian Biology. Hoboken: Wiley, v. 51, n. 1, 8 p., 2020.0908-8857http://hdl.handle.net/11449/19655610.1111/jav.02316WOS:000511407600002Web of Sciencereponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESPinstname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)instacron:UNESPengJournal Of Avian Biologyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess2021-10-23T08:05:27Zoai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/196556Repositório InstitucionalPUBhttp://repositorio.unesp.br/oai/requestopendoar:29462024-08-05T21:10:40.798845Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
title Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
spellingShingle Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
Cestari, Cesar
behaviour
biodiversity
birds
coast
ecological niche
mixed-species
title_short Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
title_full Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
title_fullStr Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
title_full_unstemmed Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
title_sort Keeping safe and fed: large heterospecific shorebird flocks to decrease intraspecific competition
author Cestari, Cesar
author_facet Cestari, Cesar
Goncalves, Cristina da Silva [UNESP]
Melo, Celine de
author_role author
author2 Goncalves, Cristina da Silva [UNESP]
Melo, Celine de
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Cestari, Cesar
Goncalves, Cristina da Silva [UNESP]
Melo, Celine de
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv behaviour
biodiversity
birds
coast
ecological niche
mixed-species
topic behaviour
biodiversity
birds
coast
ecological niche
mixed-species
description Shorebirds join cohesive flocks for safety. The joining of individuals of several species in large heterospecific flocks can optimise individual vigilance and foraging. However, a large number of conspecific individuals in flocks may deplete food resources and increase intraspecific competition. In the present study, we argue that Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird species join large heterospecific flocks in a balanced number as a way of controlling intraspecific competition. We recorded monospecific and heterospecific flocks in urban beaches from southeastern Brazil and annotated the species richness and the number of individuals per bird species per flock. Besides, we recorded the number of people around shorebird flocks to examine any relationship with flock size. We also recorded the foraging rate of the semipalmated plover Charadrius semipalmatus, a common migrant species in the region, as a species model to test competition and vigilance. We hypothesised that this species would exhibit a low foraging rate in scenarios with high intraspecific competition (i.e. large flocks with a high number of conspecifics) and high density of people, which may disturb birds. In the initial results, the density of people did not influence size of monospecific and heterospecific flocks; heterospecific flocks were larger than monospecific flocks, and heterospecific flocks increased in size by the addition of more species rather than more individuals of the same species. These data reflect a decrease in the relative abundance of individuals per species. Additionally, the semipalmated plover foraging rate was reduced in monospecific flocks, flocks with a high relative abundance (and total number) of the specific individuals and flocks surrounded by a high density of people. All these results indicate that shorebirds may adjust flock composition and size according to preferred foraging conditions, i.e. large and balanced heterospecific flocks with less intraspecific competition and less vigilance to potential predators in wintering areas.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020-12-10T19:48:42Z
2020-12-10T19:48:42Z
2020-01-01
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.02316
Journal Of Avian Biology. Hoboken: Wiley, v. 51, n. 1, 8 p., 2020.
0908-8857
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/196556
10.1111/jav.02316
WOS:000511407600002
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.02316
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/196556
identifier_str_mv Journal Of Avian Biology. Hoboken: Wiley, v. 51, n. 1, 8 p., 2020.
0908-8857
10.1111/jav.02316
WOS:000511407600002
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Journal Of Avian Biology
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 8
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley-Blackwell
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley-Blackwell
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Web of Science
reponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
instname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
instacron:UNESP
instname_str Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
instacron_str UNESP
institution UNESP
reponame_str Repositório Institucional da UNESP
collection Repositório Institucional da UNESP
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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