Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing
Niche differentiation through resource partitioning is seen as one of the most important mechanisms of diversity maintenance contributing to stable coexistence of different species within communities. In this study, I examined whether four species of migrating shorebirds, dunlins (Calidris alpina),...
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ftkeanuniv:oai:digitalcommons.kean.edu:keanpublications-2722 2023-12-17T10:28:28+01:00 Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing Novcic, Ivana 2016-08-01T07:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/keanpublications/1723 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2016.07.002 unknown Kean Digital Learning Commons https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/keanpublications/1723 doi:10.1016/j.actao.2016.07.002 Kean Publications Coexistence Migration Niche partitioning Shorebirds Stopover text 2016 ftkeanuniv https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2016.07.002 2023-11-23T19:05:21Z Niche differentiation through resource partitioning is seen as one of the most important mechanisms of diversity maintenance contributing to stable coexistence of different species within communities. In this study, I examined whether four species of migrating shorebirds, dunlins (Calidris alpina), semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and short-billed dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus), segregate by time of passage, habitat use and foraging behavior at their major stopover in Delaware Bay during spring migration. I tested the prediction that most of the separation between morphologically similar species will be achieved by differential migration timing. Despite the high level of overlap along observed niche dimensions, this study demonstrates a certain level of ecological separation between migrating shorebirds. The results of analyses suggest that differential timing of spring migration might be the most important dimension along which shorebird species segregate while at stopover in Delaware Bay. Besides differences in time of passage, species exhibited differences in habitat use, particularly least sandpipers that foraged in vegetated areas of tidal marshes more frequently than other species, as well as short-billed dowitchers that foraged in deeper water more often than small sandpipers did. Partitioning along foraging techniques was less prominent than segregation along temporal or microhabitat dimensions. Such ranking of niche dimensions emphasizes significance of temporal segregation of migratory species – separation of species by time of passage may reduce the opportunity for interspecific aggressive encounters, which in turn can have positive effects on birds' time and energy budget during stopover period. Text Calidris alpina Kean Digital Learning Commons Acta Oecologica 75 68 76 |
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Coexistence Migration Niche partitioning Shorebirds Stopover |
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Coexistence Migration Niche partitioning Shorebirds Stopover Novcic, Ivana Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
topic_facet |
Coexistence Migration Niche partitioning Shorebirds Stopover |
description |
Niche differentiation through resource partitioning is seen as one of the most important mechanisms of diversity maintenance contributing to stable coexistence of different species within communities. In this study, I examined whether four species of migrating shorebirds, dunlins (Calidris alpina), semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and short-billed dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus), segregate by time of passage, habitat use and foraging behavior at their major stopover in Delaware Bay during spring migration. I tested the prediction that most of the separation between morphologically similar species will be achieved by differential migration timing. Despite the high level of overlap along observed niche dimensions, this study demonstrates a certain level of ecological separation between migrating shorebirds. The results of analyses suggest that differential timing of spring migration might be the most important dimension along which shorebird species segregate while at stopover in Delaware Bay. Besides differences in time of passage, species exhibited differences in habitat use, particularly least sandpipers that foraged in vegetated areas of tidal marshes more frequently than other species, as well as short-billed dowitchers that foraged in deeper water more often than small sandpipers did. Partitioning along foraging techniques was less prominent than segregation along temporal or microhabitat dimensions. Such ranking of niche dimensions emphasizes significance of temporal segregation of migratory species – separation of species by time of passage may reduce the opportunity for interspecific aggressive encounters, which in turn can have positive effects on birds' time and energy budget during stopover period. |
format |
Text |
author |
Novcic, Ivana |
author_facet |
Novcic, Ivana |
author_sort |
Novcic, Ivana |
title |
Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
title_short |
Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
title_full |
Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
title_fullStr |
Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
title_full_unstemmed |
Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
title_sort |
niche dynamics of shorebirds in delaware bay: foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing |
publisher |
Kean Digital Learning Commons |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/keanpublications/1723 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2016.07.002 |
genre |
Calidris alpina |
genre_facet |
Calidris alpina |
op_source |
Kean Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.kean.edu/keanpublications/1723 doi:10.1016/j.actao.2016.07.002 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2016.07.002 |
container_title |
Acta Oecologica |
container_volume |
75 |
container_start_page |
68 |
op_container_end_page |
76 |
_version_ |
1785580588994920448 |