Summary
A controversy exists over the relative roles of feeding enhancement and predation in shaping the flocking behavior of birds. We examined social attraction among foraging Sandwich Terns, Sterna sandvicensis, in the Gulf of Mexico. The prediction that foraging terns would coalesce at a spot where another bird dove was supported. Approach took place within seconds, occurred over a distance of at least 500 m, and lasted about 10 to 20 s after the food source dissipated. Although social attraction appears to play a major role in the feeding of the terns, this need not be construed as evidence against a similarly important role for predation in shaping social foraging behavior.
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Gochfeld, M., Burger, J. Feeding enhancement by social attraction in the Sandwich Tern. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 10, 15–17 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00296391
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00296391