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Diets of northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) chicks in the northwest Atlantic Ocean

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Abstract

Northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) have recently expanded their breeding range in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. We studied their diet in their largest colony in the northwest Atlantic on Funk Island, eastern Canada, by collecting dietary samples from chicks during 1999 and 2000. Fish, primarily capelin (Mallotus villosus), and offal from commercial fisheries were the most common foods in the diets of fulmar chicks. Crustaceans were also common prey fed to the chicks. Squids (Gonatus fabricii) were an important food in 2000. Chick diets varied considerably between the 2 years of the study. The diets of northern fulmar chicks on Funk Island were opportunistic and similar to those of chicks at other colonies in the eastern and northern North Atlantic Ocean. Compared to other regions in the North Atlantic Ocean, the diet of birds on Funk Island seems to be most similar to those from Iceland, and least resemble those from Shetland. Long-term studies of the feeding ecology on northern fulmars may be helpful in discerning factors influencing changes in the species’ distribution and abundance.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Ga 617/1) to S.G. and from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to W.A.M. The Newfoundland and Labrador Parks Division permitted us to work in the Funk Island Ecological Seabird Reserve. J. Russell assisted in the field in 2000, and C. Burke with data compilation. D. Steele helped with the identification of crustaceans and U. Piatkowski with the identification of cephalopods. S. Benvenuti, R.W. Furness and M.L. Tasker improved the previous version of the manuscript by valuable comments.

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Correspondence to Stefan Garthe.

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Garthe, S., Montevecchi, W.A., Ojowski, U. et al. Diets of northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) chicks in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Polar Biol 27, 277–280 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-003-0586-9

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