THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KLEPTOPARASITISM DURING THE BREEDING SEASON IN A COLONY OF ARCTIC SKUAS STERCORARIUS PARASITICUS IN ICELAND

• Published in: Ibis
• Main Authors: ARNASON, EINAR, GRANT, P. R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1978
• Subjects: Arctic; Iceland; Stercorarius parasiticus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919x.1978.tb04997.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1474-919X.1978.tb04997.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1978.tb04997.x

SUMMARY Breeding and kleptoparasitism of Arctic Skuas was studied at Vik, Iceland, in 1973. Hatching success was 88.9%; fledging success was 0.27 fledglings per pair. The heavy chick mortality occurred mostly in the first week after hatching. In the early part of the breeding season skuas fed by robbing kittiwakes of their food at sea and by eating arthropods at the breeding grounds. At the time of hatching of skua eggs, which coincided with the hatching of Puffin eggs, skuas switched their feeding activities to kleptoparasitism of Puffins and fish so obtained was the principal item of most skuas' diet thereafter. In the first week post‐hatching, the energy balance of an average adult skua pirating Puffins was estimated to be negative, but changed to positive a week later, although later, coinciding with an influx of non‐breeders it turned back to negative. Arctic Terns which normally breed at Vik, and are exploited by skuas, failed to breed in 1973, and the abnormally heavy chick loss is therefore attributed to this failure of the terns. The success of the skuas kleptoparasitizing Puffins depends on the proximity of the interactions to the cliff or to the ocean, where Puffins seck refuge. Skuas catch fish mostly in the air, especially if it is dropped from high. Fish dropped from low is mostly taken by competing gulls and Ravens, which mostly control the ground and lower airspace. Skuas chasing in groups enhance their success, but the average success per member decreased with group increase. However, the success of the group‐member in the ‘best’ position was equal to that of a single skua. Puffins carry 1 (large)‐6 (smaller) fish, an approximately equal load irrespective of number of fish. Skuas preferentially chase Puffins carrying ‘large’ fish, thus maximizing their yield per effort. Arctic Skuas responded to changes in the numbers of arriving Puffins with a functional response, but their monitoring of the food supply was far from perfect.