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Spatial segregation contrasting dietary overlap: niche partitioning of two sympatric alcids during shifting resource availability

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Abstract

Interspecific interactions help to shape individual- and population-level dynamics. As such, similar species breeding sympatrically are expected to have a high potential for competition and, thus, may have developed strategies to reduce niche overlap to allow coexistence. We combined GPS tracking and stable isotope analysis (δ15N, δ13C) to simultaneously compare multiple behavioral and dietary niche dimensions of common murres (Uria aalge) and razorbills (Alca torda) breeding at nearby colonies (55 km apart) on the northeastern Newfoundland coast under varying prey availability in 2017. Though foraging ranges of species had high potential overlap (5000 km2), foraging areas of the two species were spatially segregated. Dive characteristics also differed, as predicted based on body size and dive capacity. These differences contrasted a high degree of overlap in diet, habitat characteristics, and diurnal foraging patterns, suggesting that spatial segregation may be the most important factor to allow coexistence of these similar species for the same limited resources. As prey availability increased later in the breeding season, individual murres and razorbills foraged closer to their respective colonies and population-level diet composition changed, indicative of reduced energy costs and dietary plasticity to take advantage of highly available prey, capelin (Mallotus villosus). Foraging areas, however, remained segregated. Seabirds and marine systems face many potential threats, the greatest of which may be climate change. Thus, understanding variation in space, time, and habitat selection among similar species allowed for a more comprehensive view of the possible ways these species may partition their niche and how future changes to resource availability could impact interspecific relationships.

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Data Availability

The data sets during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Principal funding was provided by National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery (2014-06290) and Ship Time Grants (486208-2016 and 501154-2017 to GKD), along with University of Manitoba Faculty of Science Fieldwork Support program grants (2016, 2017) to GKD. Additional funding was provided by National Geographic Young Explorers Grant (WW-075ER-17) to JG and by World Wildlife Fund-Canada (G-0618-583-00-D) to GKD. Partial funding came from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service and the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiative grant to Bird Studies Canada (RAR). We are indebted to the captain and crew of the Lady Easton for their assistance with fieldwork. Thanks to E. Jenkins, P. Calabria Carvalho, K. Johnson, L. Maynard, and W. Ogloff for assistance with field work; and J. Roth and the rest of the University of Manitoba Stable Isotopes in Ecology Group for guidance and feedback during data analysis. We would also like to thank the reviewers.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Julia Gulka & Gail K. Davoren

  2. Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 2N6, Canada

    Robert A. Ronconi

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Gulka, J., Ronconi, R.A. & Davoren, G.K. Spatial segregation contrasting dietary overlap: niche partitioning of two sympatric alcids during shifting resource availability. Mar Biol 166, 115 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-019-3553-x

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