title: Population-Scale Foraging Segregation in an Apex Predator of the North Atlantic.
abstract: In this work we investigated the between-colony spatial, behavioural and trophic segregation of two sub-populations of the elusive Macaronesian shearwaters Puffinus baroli breeding only ~340 km apart in Cima Islet (Porto Santo Island) and Selvagem Grande Island. Global location sensing (gls) loggers were used in combination with the trophic ecology of tracked individuals, inferred from the isotopic signatures of wing feathers. Results suggest that these two Macaronesian shearwater sub-populations do segregate during the non-breeding period in some 'sub-population-specific' regions, by responding to different oceanographic characteristics (habitat modelling). Within these disparate areas, both sub-populations behave differently (at-sea activity) and prey on disparate trophic niches (stable isotope analysis). One hypothesis would be that each sub-population have evolved and adapted to feed on particular and 'sub-population-specific' resources, and the segregation observed at the three different levels (spatial, behavioural and trophic) might be in fact a result of such adaptation, from the emergence of 'cultural foraging patterns'. Finally, when comparing to the results of former studies reporting on the spatial, behavioural and trophic choices of Macaronesian shearwater populations breeding on Azores and Canary Islands, we realized the high ecological plasticity of this species inhabiting and foraging over the North-East Atlantic Ocean.
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vitor H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: SPEA - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Travessa das Torres 2A 1°, 9060-314 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Fagundes
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Romão
authors.affiliation: SPEA - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Travessa das Torres 2A 1°, 9060-314 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cátia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gouveia
authors.affiliation: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001394:Azores; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005241:Feathers / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D009791:Oceanography / Q000379:methods; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013030:Spain