Time-activity Budget of the Snowy Sheathbill (Chionis albus) Wintering at a Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens) Haul-out in Argentina

HERNANDEZ MAXIMILIANO; BERÓN MARÍA PAULA; ZUMPANO FRANCISCO; GIARDINO GISELA; SECO PON JUAN PABLO

WATERBIRDS (DE LEON SPRINGS, FLA.)

WATERBIRD SOC

Año: 2021 vol. 44 p. 376 - 381

1524-4695

This work aims to provide information regarding the behavioral ecology of the least studied of the two sheathbill species, the Snowy Sheathbill (Chionis albus), wintering in northern Argentina in a male South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens) haul-out. Data about bird abundances and time allocated to behaviors was gathered during the final stage of three consecutive non-breeding seasons. Significant differences were found in the abundance between and within seasons. Overall, sheathbills allocated most of their time to foraging, followed by resting and self-maintaining, with the least of the time allocated to agonistic behaviors. The results obtained by the authors demonstrated that the Snowy Sheathbill recurrently used the local sea-lion rookery as a foraging ground, with steady numbers throughout the non-breeding seasons.