Associations among Antarctic seabirds in mixed‐species feeding flocks

Abstract

We studied ten mixed‐species feeding flocks of seabirds and seals off South Georgia (55d̀S, 35d̀W) to assess the factors that influenced the species composition of the flocks. The ten flocks were distributed between two oceanographic regions; four flocks were observed off the northwestern end of South Georgia, and six off the island's southeastern end. The flocks differed dramatically in size and species composition. The northwestern flocks were ten to 20 times larger and contained more seals and penguins. We tested whether these differences were a consequence of location, because the two regions were populated by different assemblages of species, and determined that this was not the case. Differences in flock size and species composition reflected differences in the depth distribution of the birds' and seals' prey. The northwestern flocks were associated with deep swarms of Antarctic krill Euphausia superba with a significant quantity of krill also present at the surface. We also tested for differential flock participation by the species found in the surrounding waters and classified species by their proclivity to participate in the flocks. Our results indicate that Black‐browed Albatross Diomedea melanophris have a strong tendency to join, and diving‐petrels Pelecanoides spp. to avoid, mixed‐species feeding flocks. We postulate that Black‐browed Albatrosses serve as visual cues to the presence of food for one another and for other species, and that diving‐petrels avoid mixed‐species flocks in part because of the risk of predation.