Stable isotopes demonstrate intraspecific variation in habitat use and trophic level of non‐breeding albatrosses

• Published in: Ibis
• Main Authors: Mills, William, McGill, Rona A.R., Cherel, Yves, Votier, Stephen, Phillips, Richard
• Other Authors: British Antarctic Survey NERC UK, NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility Glasgow, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), University of Glasgow-University of Edinburgh-University of Glasgow-University of Edinburgh-Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC), Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Environment and Sustainability Institute Penryn, UK, University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn Campus UK, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: seabirds; Thalassarche chrysostoma; Procellariiformes; intraspecific variation; migration; Southern Ocean; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02931984; https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12874

International audience The non‐breeding period is critical for restoration of body condition and self‐maintenance in albatrosses, yet detailed information on diet and distribution during this stage of the annual cycle is lacking for many species. Here, we use stable isotope values of body feathers (δ13C, δ15N) to infer habitat use and trophic level of non‐breeding adult Grey‐headed Albatrosses Thalassarche chrysostoma (n = 194) from South Georgia. Specifically, we: (i) investigate intrinsic drivers (sex, age, previous breeding outcome) of variation in habitat use and trophic level; (ii) quantify variation among feathers of the same birds; and (iii) examine potential carry‐over effects of habitat use and trophic level during the non‐breeding period on subsequent breeding outcome. In agreement with previous tracking studies, δ13C values of individual feathers indicate that non‐breeding Grey‐headed Albatrosses from South Georgia foraged across a range of oceanic habitats, but mostly in subantarctic waters, between the Antarctic Polar Front and Subtropical Front. Sex differences were subtle but statistically significant, and overlap in the core isotopic niche areas was high (62%); however, males exhibited slightly lower δ13C and higher δ15N values than females, indicating that males forage at higher latitudes and at a higher trophic level. Neither age nor previous breeding outcome influenced stable isotope values, and we found no evidence of carry‐over effects of non‐breeding habitat use or trophic level on subsequent breeding outcome. Repeatability among feathers of the same individual was moderate in δ13C and low in δ15N. This cross‐sectional study demonstrates high variability in the foraging and migration strategies of this albatross population.