High variability in migration and wintering strategies of brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) in the Indian Ocean

Karine Delord (1) , Yves Cherel (1) , Christophe Barbraud (1) , Olivier Chastel (1) , Henri Weimerskirch (1)

1 CEBC - Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372

Movements of brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) originating from two populations in the southern Indian Ocean were studied during the nonbreeding period using geolocation. A total of 33 individuals were equipped resulting in 34 annual tracks recovered from 50 deployments. Brown skuas varied extensively in their post-breeding movements, from true long range migrations to reach distant wintering zones, to short movements in the vicinity of breeding grounds. Overall, brown skuas migrated northward to overwinter in different areas in the southern hemisphere; individuals remained in the Indian Ocean, except two that overwintered in the Benguela Current (Atlantic Ocean). Wintering grounds were generally situated in productive dynamic upwelling waters or frontal systems. Brown skuas avoided the less productive area of the South Subtropical Gyre in the Central Indian Ocean. Individuals clearly differed in migratory strategies, targeting areas in a continuum from the sub-Antarctic to the tropics. Inter-individual differences were not sex-dependent. The migration dates varied between sexes with females leaving the breeding sites earlier and returning later compared to males. The duration of migration depended on wintering area and sex. Males had shorter migrations than females, regardless of the wintering area. Isotopic signatures clearly indicated that birds moulted in the wintering area and during migration. The low δ 15N values of feathers that grew in mixed subtropical-sub-Antarctic waters suggest that skuas fed on low trophic level prey in these areas. The origin and consequences of such strong inter-individual variation in migratory strategies requires further investigation.

Mots clés: Intraspecific strategies; Geolocator; Activity; Feather; Phenology; Stable isotopes

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Milieux et Changements globaux; Zoologie des vertébrés

Karine Delord, Yves Cherel, Christophe Barbraud, Olivier Chastel, Henri Weimerskirch. High variability in migration and wintering strategies of brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) in the Indian Ocean. Polar Biology, 2018, 41 (1), pp.59-70. ⟨10.1007/s00300-017-2169-1⟩. ⟨hal-01848711⟩