Parental Care, Development of Foraging Skills, and Transition to Independence in the Red-Footed Booby

[摘要] Abstract. When and how fledglings become independent are important issues in understanding the life history of long-lived seabirds. In this study, we investigated post-fledging care, development of foraging skills, and the ultimate causes of independence in juvenile Red-footed Boobies (Sula sula) on Dong Island, Xisha Archipelago, northern South China Sea, during 2007 and 2008. After fledging, juveniles took an average of 118 days to become independent; the post-fledging survival rate was 96%. Parents supplied the young with more food after they fledged (average 176 g day-1) than before, but the mass fed per day declined significantly at the end of the post-fledging period. Juveniles' foraging trips lengthened progressively and probably served mainly to develop foraging skills, as 94% of their food was supplied by their parents. Juveniles foraged for themselves mostly from 60 days post-fledging onward, which was just adequate for survival at independence. Fledglings became independent when foraging was en...

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] fledgling;foraging;independence;parental care;post-fledging period;Red-footed Booby;Sula sula