PREY SWITCHING AND VARIABLE FORAGING STRATEGIES OF BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES AND THE EFFECT ON REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS

We studied the diets, foraging strategies, and reproduction of Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) during five years at two colonies within Prince William Sound, Alaska. Years with reduced occurrence of 1-year-old Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) in kittiwake diets were associated with increased foraging trip duration, distance, and travel time at both colonies. Foraging range was consistently greater at the large, fjord colony with an...