Kleptoparasitism and Temporal Segregation of Sympatric Corvids Foraging in a Refuse Dump

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Kleptoparasitism, in which an individual steals food from other individuals of the same or a different species, is frequent in birds and represents a form of direct competition that can potentially influence the structure of communities. We addressed this idea by analyzing the foraging behavior and the spatiotemporal patterns of use of a refuse dump by four species of corvids: the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), Carrion Crow (C. corone), Eurasian Jackdaw (C. monedula), and European Magpie (Pica pica). Carrion Crows showed a unique degree of specialization in kleptoparasitism, allocating most of their time to scanning from the periphery of the dump and attacking other individuals rather than searching directly for food on the refuse. During winter, when the presence of corvids was highest, the species segregated through different timing of visits to the dump: Rooks and Eurasian Jackdaws were most abundant in the early hours, Carrion Crows in the middle of the morning, and European Magpies in the early ...