Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird
Optimal foraging theory posits that foragers adjust their movements based on prey abundance to optimize food intake. While extensively studied in terrestrial and marine environments, aerial foraging has remained relatively unexplored due to technological limitations. This study, uniquely combining B...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2025-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/96573 |
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| author | Itai Bloch David Troupin Sivan Toledo Ran Nathan Nir Sapir |
| author_facet | Itai Bloch David Troupin Sivan Toledo Ran Nathan Nir Sapir |
| author_sort | Itai Bloch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Optimal foraging theory posits that foragers adjust their movements based on prey abundance to optimize food intake. While extensively studied in terrestrial and marine environments, aerial foraging has remained relatively unexplored due to technological limitations. This study, uniquely combining BirdScan-MR1 radar and the Advanced Tracking and Localization of Animals in Real-Life Systems biotelemetry system, investigates the foraging dynamics of Little Swifts (Apus affinis) in response to insect movements over Israel’s Hula Valley. Insect movement traffic rate (MoTR) substantially varied across days, strongly influencing swift movement. On days with high MoTR, swifts exhibited reduced flight distance, increased colony visit rate, and earlier arrivals at the breeding colony, reflecting a dynamic response to prey availability. However, no significant effects were observed in total foraging duration, flight speed, or daily route length. Notably, as insect abundance increased, inter-individual distances decreased. These findings suggest that Little Swifts optimize their foraging behavior in relation to aerial insect abundance, likely influencing reproductive success and population dynamics. The integration of radar technology and biotelemetry systems provides a unique perspective on the interactions between aerial insectivores and their prey, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of optimal foraging strategies in diverse environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8dd77ee6b2ce499ab48bb96abea875d7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj-art-8dd77ee6b2ce499ab48bb96abea875d72025-01-27T17:13:23ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2025-01-011310.7554/eLife.96573Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore birdItai Bloch0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7514-2121David Troupin1Sivan Toledo2Ran Nathan3Nir Sapir4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2477-0515Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelBlavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelDepartment of Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, IsraelDepartment of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelOptimal foraging theory posits that foragers adjust their movements based on prey abundance to optimize food intake. While extensively studied in terrestrial and marine environments, aerial foraging has remained relatively unexplored due to technological limitations. This study, uniquely combining BirdScan-MR1 radar and the Advanced Tracking and Localization of Animals in Real-Life Systems biotelemetry system, investigates the foraging dynamics of Little Swifts (Apus affinis) in response to insect movements over Israel’s Hula Valley. Insect movement traffic rate (MoTR) substantially varied across days, strongly influencing swift movement. On days with high MoTR, swifts exhibited reduced flight distance, increased colony visit rate, and earlier arrivals at the breeding colony, reflecting a dynamic response to prey availability. However, no significant effects were observed in total foraging duration, flight speed, or daily route length. Notably, as insect abundance increased, inter-individual distances decreased. These findings suggest that Little Swifts optimize their foraging behavior in relation to aerial insect abundance, likely influencing reproductive success and population dynamics. The integration of radar technology and biotelemetry systems provides a unique perspective on the interactions between aerial insectivores and their prey, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of optimal foraging strategies in diverse environments.https://elifesciences.org/articles/96573Apus affinisflying insectsmovement traffic rate |
| spellingShingle | Itai Bloch David Troupin Sivan Toledo Ran Nathan Nir Sapir Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird eLife Apus affinis flying insects movement traffic rate |
| title | Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird |
| title_full | Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird |
| title_fullStr | Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird |
| title_short | Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird |
| title_sort | combining radio telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird |
| topic | Apus affinis flying insects movement traffic rate |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/96573 |
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