Does Aging Change Foraging Behavior of Black-Tailed Gulls?

摘要

How do wild animals behave as they get older? We investigated the foraging behavior of black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) of known age using GPS and acceleration loggers. We found that the older gulls reduced their mean flight speed and tended to feed on prey on land rather than on prey at sea. However, breeding performance of gulls did not change with age. Therefore, older gulls might experience senescence, but optimize their foraging behavior in relation to their age to maintain breeding performance.