Memorial University DAI: Comparative foraging ecology of parental common murres (Uria aalge) and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) in response to changes in forage fish availability

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Title	Comparative foraging ecology of parental common murres (Uria aalge) and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) in response to changes in forage fish availability
Author	Burke, Chantelle Marie, 1969-
Description	Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2008. Ecology
Date	2008
Pagination	xv, 127 leaves : ill., maps (some col.)
Subject	Atlantic puffin--Newfoundland and Labrador--Funk Island--Ecology; Atlantic puffin--Newfoundland and Labrador--Funk Island--Food; Common murre--Newfoundland and Labrador--Funk Island--Ecology; Common murre--Newfoundland and Labrador--Funk Island--Food;
Degree	M.Sc.
Degree Grantor	Memorial University of Newfoundland. Faculty of Science
Discipline	Ecology
Language	Eng
Spatial Coverage	Canada--Newfoundland and Labrador--Funk Island
Notes	Includes bibliographical references
Abstract	To ensure successful reproduction, seabirds must make continuous and adaptive foraging decisions in the face of uncertain prey conditions. I compared the foraging behavior (foraging ranges and diet choices) of parental common murres and Atlantic puffins at a high density, offshore colony (Funk Island) during 2 years of different forage fish availability. In a poor food year (2005), characterized by an order of magnitude decline in forage fish densities and smaller fish, murres and puffins increased the mean distance they traveled to forage by 36% and preferentially selected larger fish. These responses show flexible foraging behavior, but significantly lighter murre fledglings in 2005 (203.0 ± 4.6 g) relative to 2004 (215.0 ± 3.9 g) suggests that specialized feeding on unpredictable prey can have consequences for reproductive success. Puffins that are generalist foragers and have multiple prey load capacity were more resilient to declines in prey availability.
Type	Text
Resource Type	Electronic thesis or dissertation
Format	Image/jpeg; Application/pdf
Source	Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries
Local Identifier	a2523374
Rights	The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission.
Collection	Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Scanning Status	Completed
PDF File	(14.21 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Burke_Chantelle.pdf
CONTENTdm file name	29396.cpd