Trophic ecology of the Red Knot Calidris canutus rufa at Bahía Lomas, Tierra del Fuego, Chile
Info
Pages
69 – 76
Published
1 August 08
Authors
Carmen Espoz, Alejandra Ponce, Ricardo Matus, Olivia Blank, Nicolás Rozbaczylo, Humphrey P. Sitters, Sebastián Rodriguez, Amanda D. Dey, Lawrence J. Niles
Correspondence
Carmen Espoz
cespoz@santotomas.cl
Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile.
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Using stable isotope analysis, we investigate the diet of Red Knots of the subspecies rufa at Bahía Lomas, Chile, their main over-wintering site in the West Atlantic Flyway. Benthic sampling showed that the most abundant and available potential prey for knots is the clam Darina solenoides and the isotope analysis confirmed that this is their main food resource. However, 91% of Darina were <6.0 mm in length, much smaller and therefore less profitable than size-classes chosen by knots at other sites. We speculate as to whether this apparently poor quality food supply could have contributed to the catastrophic decline in the rufa population recorded over the past decade.