Common ravens raid arctic fox food caches |
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Authors: | Vincent Careau Nicolas Lecomte Jean-François Giroux Dominique Berteaux |
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Institution: | (1) Département des sciences biologiques and Groupe de recherche en écologie comportementale et animale, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn Centre-ville, H3C 3P8 Montréal, QC, Canada;(2) Chaire de recherche du Canada en conservation des écosystèmes nordiques and Centre d’études nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, G5L 3A1 Rimouski, QC, Canada;(3) Département de biologie and Centre d’études Nordiques, Université Laval, G1K 7P4 Québec, QC, Canada |
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Abstract: | Cache recovery is critical for evolution of hoarding behaviour, because the energy invested in caching may be lost if consumers
other than the hoarders benefit from the cached food. By raiding food caches, animals may exploit the caching habits of others,
that should respond by actively defending their caches. The arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) is the main predator of lemmings and goose eggs in the Canadian High Arctic and stores much of its prey in the ground. Common
ravens (Corvus corax) are not as successful as foxes in taking eggs from goose nests. This generalist avian predator regularly uses innovation
and opportunism to survive in many environments. Here, we provide the first report that ravens can successfully raid food
cached by foxes, and that foxes may defend their caches from ravens. |
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Keywords: | Alopex lagopus Corvus corax Food caching Cache raiding Defence of food caches Foraging innovation Bylot Island |
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