Carotenoid-based skin ornaments reflect foraging propensity in a seabird,Sula leucogaster

Carotenoid-based ornaments are common signalling features in animals. It has long been proposed that such ornaments communicate information about foraging abilities to potential mates. However, evidence linking foraging with ornamentation is largely missing from unmanipulated, free-ranging populations. To investigate this relationship, we studied a coastal population of brown booby ( Sula leucogaster brewsteri ), a seabird with a...