Influence of rainfall on foraging behavior of a tropical seabird De Pascalis, F, Austin, RE, Green, JA, Arnould, John, Imperio, S, Maugeri, M, Haakonsson, J, Cecere, JG and Rubolini, D 2021, Influence of rainfall on foraging behavior of a tropical seabird, Behavioral Ecology, pp. 1-9, doi: 10.1093/beheco/arab134. Attached Files Name Description MIMEType Size Downloads Title Influence of rainfall on foraging behavior of a tropical seabird Author(s) De Pascalis, F Austin, RE Green, JA Arnould, John orcid.org/0000-0003-1124-9330 Imperio, S Maugeri, M Haakonsson, J Cecere, JG Rubolini, D Journal name Behavioral Ecology Start page 1 End page 9 Total pages 9 Publisher Oxford University Press Place of publication Oxford, England Publication date 2021-12-27 ISSN 1045-2249 1465-7279 Keyword(s) Behavioral Sciences Biology DYNAMICS Ecology environmental drivers Environmental Sciences & Ecology EVOLUTION GREAT FRIGATEBIRDS Hidden Markov Models Life Sciences & Biomedicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics magnificent frigatebird OCEAN PERFORMANCE precipitation PREDATION RISK Resource Selection Function Science & Technology SEX spatial behavior STRATEGY TEMPERATURE VIGILANCE BEHAVIOR wind speed Zoology Summary Abstract Acquiring resources for self-maintenance and reproduction is a key challenge for wild animals, and the methods that individuals employ are, in part, shaped by environmental conditions that vary in time and space. For birds, rainfall may affect behavior, impairing senses and increasing energetic costs, but its consequences on movement patterns are poorly explored. We investigated the influence of rainfall on the foraging behavior of the magnificent frigatebird, Fregata magnificens. This peculiar tropical seabird lacks feather waterproofing and is known to track environmental conditions while searching for food. Thus, its foraging behavior should be highly sensitive to the effects of rainfall. By GPS-tracking chick-rearing adults, we showed that frigatebirds did not avoid areas with rainfall during foraging trips, nor did rainfall influence trip characteristics. However, rainfall decreased time devoted to foraging and increased time spent perching. Moreover, it affected flight mode, inducing birds to fly slower and at lower altitudes. Wind speed, which was not correlated with rainfall, only affected behavior during night-time, with strong winds decreasing time spent perching. Our results indicate that rainfall does not affect the spatial distribution of foraging frigatebirds but does alter fine-scale foraging behavior by reducing flight activity. We suggest that the ongoing environmental change in this region, including an increase in rainfall events, has the potential to impair foraging and negatively affect fitness. Language eng DOI 10.1093/beheco/arab134 Indigenous content off Field of Research 0602 Ecology 0603 Evolutionary Biology 0608 Zoology HERDC Research category C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30164540 Document type: Journal Article Collections: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment School of Life and Environmental Sciences Related Links Link Description Connect to Elements publication management system Go to link with your DU access privileges   Connect to published version Go to link with your DU access privileges   Author URL Go to link with your DU access privileges     Unless expressly stated otherwise, the copyright for items in DRO is owned by the author, with all rights reserved. Versions Version Filter Type Thu, 17 Mar 2022, 20:46:40 EST Fri, 18 Mar 2022, 15:55:39 EST Fri, 18 Mar 2022, 16:12:07 EST Fri, 25 Mar 2022, 15:16:32 EST Fri, 25 Mar 2022, 15:51:37 EST Fri, 25 Mar 2022, 15:54:36 EST Fri, 25 Mar 2022, 16:15:20 EST Fri, 25 Mar 2022, 16:18:43 EST Filtered Full Citation counts:   Cited 1 times in TR Web of Science Cited 0 times in Scopus Search Google Scholar Access Statistics: 16 Abstract Views, 3 File Downloads  -  Detailed Statistics Created: Thu, 17 Mar 2022, 20:46:40 EST