Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: The present study examined the temporal characteristics of the foraging movements of free-ranging Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in a mixed-coniferous forest in central Maine to investigate how patterns of patch persistence in the wild compared with observations from controlled experiments.Persistence in trees, as measured by the amount of time from the last prey capture attempt in a tree until exit from that tree, was positively correlated with the average amount of time between capture attempts in those trees.These observations agree with the results of controlled experiments showing more patch persistence in the face of unsuccessful search when initial patch quality is low than when it is high.Greater persistence in initially lower quality patches is consistent with the following two hypotheses about patch leaving decision rules: (1) a bird leaves a patch when the estimated interval since the last prey capture reaches some value relative to the estimated mean inter-capture interval in the environment (a flexible giving-up time hypothesis) or (2) a bird leaves a patch when the estimated probability of capturing a prey in the next capture attempt falls below that estimated for the whole environment (a capture-probability hypothesis).CARACTERiSTI• TEMPORALES DE LOS MOVIMIENTOS DE BI•SQUEDA EN POE-CILE ATRICAPILLUS.Sinopsis.--Esteestudio examina las caracteristicas temporales de los movimientos de bfisqueda en individuos de Poecile atricapillus libres en un bosque conffero mixto en el centro de Maine para investigar como los patrones de persistencia de parchos en condiciones libres compararon con las observaciones de experimentos controlados.La persistencia en •rboles, medida pot la cantidad de tiempo fesde el filtimo esfuerzo en capturar presa en un •rbol hasta la salida de ese •rbol, furl correlacionada positivamente con la cantidad de tiempo promedio entre esfierzo de captufa en esos •rboles.Estas observaciones coinciden con los resultados de experimentos controlados que muestran mayor persistencia en parchos al enfrentarse con btlsquedas poco exitosas cuando la calidad de parcho es baja que cuando es alta.La mayor persistencia en parchos inicialmente de baja calidad es consistente con las siguientes dos hip6tesis sobre reglas para determinar si dejar los parchos: (1) un ave deja un parcho si el intrrvalo estimado desde su filtima presa capturada 11ega a algfin valor relativo al intrrvalo estimado entre captufas en el ambiente (una hip6tesis sobre tiempo flexible para darse pot vencido), o (2) un ave deja un parcho cuando la probabilidad estimada de capturar una presa en el pr6ximo intento de captufa cae bajo la probabilidad estimada para todo el ambiente (una hip6tesis de probabilidad de captufa).Members of the family Paridae foraging in the forest face a spatial matrix of leaves, twigs, branches, limbs, trees, and groups of trees.Local concentrations of prey items (i.e., prey patches) could occur at all levels of this spatial hierarchy.Individuals that possess traits allowing them to locate and concentrate upon locations with higher prey densities may gain an advantage in terms of survivorship and reproductive success (MacArthur and Pianka 1966, Schoener 1971, Stephens and Krebs 1986
Authors: John P. Roche, William E. Glanz
Language: English
Topic: Avian ecology and behavior
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Science Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W2513754281