Risk allocation and competition in foraging groups: reversed effects of competition if group size varies under risk of predation

Animals often feed more quickly when in larger groups. This group-size effect is often explained by safety advantages for groups but an alternative explanation is that animals feed faster in larger groups because of greater scramble competition for limited food. We show that predation risk enhances the group-size effect if groups vary in size. By contrast, competition leads to the group-size effect only when individuals feed in groups of constant size. When individuals feed in groups that vary in size, the best strategy for dealing with competition is to feed intensely when in smaller groups and feed little when in larger (more competitive) groups. In all situations, the effects of competition interact with the effects of predation risk in a simple multiplicative way. Our results suggest that scramble competition is not a general explanation for the group-size effect on vigilance in situations where group size changes relatively rapidly.