Exploration speed in captivity predicts foraging tactics and diet in free-living red knots ...

• Main Authors: Ersoy, Selin, Beardsworth, Christine, Dekinga, Anne, Van Der Meer, Marcel, Piersma, Theunis, Groothuis, Ton, Bijleveld, Allert
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2021
• Subjects: foraging tactics; individual niche specialisation; stable isotope analysis; pace-of-life; Calidris canutus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vmcvdncts; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.vmcvdncts

Variation in foraging tactics and diet are usually attributed to differences in morphology, experience, and prey availability. Recently, consistent individual differences in behaviour (personality) have been shown to be associated with foraging strategies. Bolder or more exploratory individuals are predicted to have a faster pace-of-life and offset the costs of moving more or in risky areas, with higher energetic gains by encountering profitable foraging opportunities and prey. However, the relationship between personality, foraging, and diet is poorly understood. We investigated how exploratory behaviour in red knots (Calidris canutus) is associated with foraging tactics and diet by combining laboratory experiments, field observations, and stable isotope analysis. First, we developed a mobile experimental arena to measure exploration speed in controlled settings. We validated the method by repeated testing of individuals over time and contexts. This setup allowed us to measure exploratory personality at the ... : Isotope data: Red blood cell and plasma d13C and d15N isotopes collected from the blood samples of red knots. Exploration speed: Movement tracjectories were collected from the recordings of the top camera during experiments in the mobile arena. We used the distance between estimated positions to calculate speed. Errors in the positioning algorithm were filtered by excluding speeds higher than 200 cm/s. An individual’s exploration speed was calculated as the average speed during each 20 min trial. The dataset includes four repeats of exploration speed. Proportion of explorative behaviour: Behaviours were collected from the recording of the side camera during experiments in indoor arena and mobile arena. Behavioural budget is calculated of the time that the focal bird spend exploring (walking and probing) the arena. Foraging behaviour: Foraging behaviour was collected from the observations in the field. Focal birds were filmed for 20 min or up to the moment they flew away. Behavioural budget is calculated for ...