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Sexual segregation in timing of foraging by imperial shags (Phalacrocorax atriceps): is it always ladies first?

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Abstract

The time seabirds have to forage is restricted while breeding, as time at sea must be balanced against the need to take turns with the partner protecting the nest site or offspring, and timing constraints change once the breeding season is over. Combined geolocator-immersion devices were deployed on eleven Imperial Shags (four males and seven females) in Argentina (43°04′S; 64°2′W) in November 2006 and recovered in November 2007. During the breeding season, females foraged throughout the morning, males exclusively in the afternoon, and variability between individuals was low. Outside the breeding season, both sexes foraged throughout the day, and variability between individuals was high. Timing differences may be explained by higher constraints on foraging or greater demands of parental duties experienced by the smaller sex, females in this case. Sexual differences in reproductive role, feeding habits or proficiency can also lead to segregation in timing of foraging, particularly while breeding.

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Acknowledgments

Research was funded by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República Argentina, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Agencia de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica to F. Quintana. We wish to thank the British Antarctic Survey for providing GLS devices used in this study. We would also like to thank the Organismo Provincial de Turismo for the permits to work at Punta León, the Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT-CONICET) and Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET) for institutional support, and R. Wilson, M. Uhart, W. Svagelj, J. E. Sala, E. Shepard, and A. Gómez Laich for their assistance in various aspects of this research. S. Harris is supported by a Ph.D. fellowship from CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Nacional Patagónico, CENPAT-CONICET, Bvd. Brown 2915, U9120ACD, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Sabrina Harris & Flavio Quintana

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CADIC, Bernardo Houssay 200, V9410CAB, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

    Andrea Raya Rey

  3. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK

    Richard A. Phillips

  4. Wildlife Conservation Society, Amenábar 1595, C1426AKC, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Flavio Quintana

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  1. Sabrina Harris
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  4. Flavio Quintana
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Correspondence to Sabrina Harris.

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Communicated by S. Garthe.

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Harris, S., Raya Rey, A., Phillips, R.A. et al. Sexual segregation in timing of foraging by imperial shags (Phalacrocorax atriceps): is it always ladies first?. Mar Biol 160, 1249–1258 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2177-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2177-9

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