Sex and Age Differences In Site Fidelity, Food Resource Tracking, and Body Condition of Wintering Kirtland's Warblers ('Setophaga kirtlandii') in the Bahamas

摘要

Because spatial and temporal variation in food availability affects the distribution, abundance, behavior, and regulation of animal populations, knowledge of an animal's responses to variation in food resources is required to understand its population ecology and to devise appropriate conservation strategies. Evaluating the role of food resources in the bahavior and ecology of migrant animals, such as migratory birds, can be especially challenging given the variety of habitats utilized during the annual cycle. Studies during one stage of the annual cycle, however, can facilitate assessment of the importance of food abundance as a causative factor in population regulation, particularly in the nonbreeding period, when interpretations are not confounded by immediate reproductive requirements.