Abstract
The food-provisioning strategy of a pelagic seabird, the blue petrel Halobaena caerulea was assessed on Kerguelen Island by the simultaneous recording of individual trip duration, feed mass and change in adult mass. Dietary analysis provided information on the energetic value of meals and on the spatial distribution of adults at sea. Males and females brought large meals (average 62 g), representing 36% of their unladen mass, and contributed equally to the feeding of the chick. Adults regularly alternated long trips (LT, average duration 7.2 days) over oceanic waters with short trips (ST, 1.8 days) probably restricted to the Kerguelen shelf. They systematically gained mass during LT, but lost this stored energy during the following ST
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
