Novel vs. Traditional Approaches to Sampling Seabird Diet: Nest and Pellet Analysis of Brandt's Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)

Diet of the Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) breeding population on Alcatraz Island, California, USA was determined for 2014-2016 using two sampling methods. Regurgitated pellets and complete nests were collected, once all chicks had left colonies, to reduce disturbance to nesting birds. Results identified 25 prey taxa including 23 teleost fishes and two cephalopods. Diet was dominated by northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) and...