Chick‐provisioning behaviour of two shearwaters breeding in south‐eastern Australia

摘要: The chick-provisioning behaviour of the short-tailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris and wedge-tailed pacificus was investigated in a mixed colony on Montague Island, New South Wales, Australia, over two breeding seasons. This is located at opposite edges distribution species. Frequent weighing techniques were used to determine chick feeding frequency, feed timing, meal size, weight loss indices food conversion efficiency chicks. Short-tailed parents fed their chicks larger more infrequent meals than parents. demonstrated higher efficiencies lower chicks, indicating either differences diet or metabolic rates. frequency shearwaters also fluctuated widely for Despite fact that timing cycle Island almost identical species, these provisioning are probably result prey type location, so they may help explain variations annual success limits