title: Sexual differences in food preferences in the white stork: an experimental study.
abstract: Sex differences in the foraging ecology of monomorphic species are poorly understood, due to problems with gender identification in field studies. In the current study, we used experimental conditions to investigate the food preferences of the white stork Ciconia ciconia, an opportunistic species in terms of food, but characterised by a low level of sexual dimorphism. During a 10-day experiment, 29 individuals (20 females and 9 males) were studied by means of a 'cafeteria test' in which the storks' diet consisted of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, insects and earthworms. The storks preferred food characterised by high calorific and protein values such as mammals, birds and fish. Sexes differed strongly in their preferences; males preferred mammals, whereas females preferred birds. Moreover, females consumed insects and earthworms less often than males. Interestingly, males spent significantly less time foraging than females. We have demonstrated that the white stork exhibits clear sexual differences in food preferences which are mostly attributable to differences in parental duties, physiology and anatomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland. zookwiatek@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3749-0619
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kwieciński
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Zuzanna M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Rosin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Dylewski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skórka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Cafeteria test; Diet; Food preferences; Sex differences