Ice-dependent southern fulmar
Résumé
The Southern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialoides, is an ice-dependent seabird, and individuals forage near the ice edge. During an extreme unfavorable sea ice year (ESIC), foraging trips were greater in distance and duration, adults brought less food to their chicks, which fledged in the poorest body condition. During such ESICs, breeding success was extremely low; hence the population growth rate was greatly reduced. Some individuals coped better with ESICs, which tend to exacerbate individual differences in intrinsic quality. Finally, changes in the frequency of ESIC have a strong impact on the persistence of Southern Fulmar populations.