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Research Article | Open Access

Diverse foraging strategies of breeding Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel in the productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific

Yachang Chenga, Lei Zhub, Lin Xuec, Shisheng Mad, Nan Jiae, Shaoping Zangf, Zhihai Caog, Jing Yuanh, Yang Liua()
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, Guangxi Marine Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530021, China
Qingdao Bird Watch Society, Qingdao 266121, China
Jiangsu Provincial Environmental Monitoring Center, Nanjing 210019, China
Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
Qingdao Marine Management and Support Centre, Qingdao 266555, China
Management Committee of Lingshan Island Provincial Nature Reserve, Qingdao 266428, China
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Abstract

Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation, as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment. Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging strategies to maximize energy gains and cope with the intensified challenges of parenting and self-maintenance. Such trade-off may stem from the heterogeneity of food resources and the constraints of central place foraging. Nevertheless, abundant marine productivity could alleviate the energy limitation for seabirds, resulting in a consistent foraging approach. Here, we investigated the foraging strategy during the breeding season of a cryptic small-sized seabird, Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel (Hydrobates monorhis), in the Yellow Sea, a productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific. Using GPS tracking, we evaluated habitat preference, quantified the foraging strategy, and tested if environmental conditions and individual traits influence foraging trips. We found that Swinhoe’s Storm-petrels preferred nearshore areas with shallow water and engaged in primarily short foraging trips. Distinctive southeastward and southwestward strategies emerged when combining trip metrics, including foraging direction, duration, and maximum distance. The bathymetry, proximity to the coastline, and sea surface temperature differed in two foraging strategies. Foraging strategies exhibited flexibility between individuals, potentially explained by wing morphology, in which longer-winged birds are more likely to embark on longer-distance foraging trips. These findings highlight the impact of environmental factors and individual traits on seabirds’ foraging decisions in productive marginal sea ecosystems. Our study also provides valuable insights into the foraging ecology of this Asian endemic storm-petrel.

Keywords

Behavioral strategyBiologgingCentral place foragingMarine primary productivitySeabirdSea surface temperature

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Avian Research
Volume 15 Issue 1,
March 2024
Article number: 100157
DOI: 10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100157
Cite this article:
Cheng Y, Zhu L, Xue L, et al. Diverse foraging strategies of breeding Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel in the productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific. Avian Research, 2024, 15(1): 100157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2023.100157
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