title: Spatial distribution and ecological niches of non-breeding planktivorous petrels.
abstract: According to niche theory, mechanisms exist that allow co-existence of organisms that would otherwise compete for the same prey and other resources. How seabirds cope with potential competition during the non-breeding period is poorly documented, particularly for small species. Here we investigate for the first time the potential role of spatial, environmental (habitat) and trophic (isotopic) segregation as niche-partitioning mechanisms during the non-breeding season for four species of highly abundant, zooplanktivorous seabird that breed sympatrically in the Southern Ocean. Spatial segregation was found to be the main partitioning mechanism; even for the two sibling species of diving petrel, which spent the non-breeding period in overlapping areas, there was evidence from distribution and stable isotope ratios for differences in habitat use and diving depth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Sevilla 41092, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Sevilla 41092, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardador
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D007554:Isotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes