Intraspecific kleptoparasitism improves chick growth and reproductive output in Common Terns Sterna hirundo

Kleptoparasitism is a well‐known foraging strategy used opportunistically by many seabirds. Here, we investigated the effect of intraspecific kleptoparasitism on chick growth and reproductive output in Common Terns Sterna hirundo. Effects were compared between two groups comprising (1) individuals u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ibis (London, England) England), 2013-04, Vol.155 (2), p.338-347
Main Authors: García, Germán O., Becker, Peter H., Favero, Marco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal reproduction
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Aves
Biological and medical sciences
Birds
chick-rearing period
foraging strategy
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
parental performance
Physical growth
seabirds
Sterna hirundo
trophic parasitism
Vertebrata
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Summary:Kleptoparasitism is a well‐known foraging strategy used opportunistically by many seabirds. Here, we investigated the effect of intraspecific kleptoparasitism on chick growth and reproductive output in Common Terns Sterna hirundo. Effects were compared between two groups comprising (1) individuals using kleptoparasitism during the chick‐rearing period (kleptoparasitic group, n = 18), and (2) individuals in pairs that never performed kleptoparasitism throughout the season (‘honest’ group, n = 21). The null models best described variation in mass at day 3 and the pre‐fledging mass, indicating no significant effect of the explanatory variables. However, the best models describing the linear growth rate (days 3–13) and peak mass included the parents' foraging strategy (kleptoparasitic vs. honest parents) as an explanatory variable. These two growth parameters were higher in chicks of kleptoparasitic parents. Kleptoparasitic foraging strategy was also associated with higher pre‐fledging survival, as the reproductive performance (i.e. number of fledglings) was significantly higher in the kleptoparasitic than in the honest group. We suggest that by stealing food (and consequently feeding offspring more frequently with high‐quality prey), kleptoparasitic parents are able to produce higher quality chicks with enhanced survival.
ISSN:0019-1019
1474-919X
DOI:10.1111/ibi.12019