Abstract
Golden Plovers and Dotterels breeding in sympatry fed and nested onCladonia heath, especially in the early part of the season. An increasing number of habitats were used as they became available, andSalix herbacea beds were used disproportionately frequently by post-breeding flocks of both species and off-duty (incubating) Golden Plover females, apparently due to good insect and arachnid availability late in the season. The species overlapped considerably in resource use and showed no signs of resource partitioning under circumstances where it could be expected from the competitive exclusion principle. Aggression from Golden Plovers towards Dotterels indicated some competitive interaction early in the season, when snow cover reduced the feeding grounds to 5–25 %. There was, however, no evidence for interspecific effects on breeding densities. It is concluded that competition between the two species is of little importance; their spacing patterns are probably usually governed by other factors than food.
Published Version
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