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L. Scott Forbes, Spencer G. Sealy, Foraging Roles of Male and Female Western Grebes during Brood Rearing, The Condor: Ornithological Applications, Volume 92, Issue 2, 1 May 1990, Pages 421–426, https://doi.org/10.2307/1368239
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Abstract
The foraging roles during brood rearing of males and females of the sexually dimorphic Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) were examined during a 2-year study in southeastern British Columbia. The larger males fed larger fish to the young than females. Females foraged more when young were small and could eat only small fish, whereas males increased their foraging effort when the young were larger. In 1982 when the primary prey, year-class-one yellow perch (Perca flavescens), were scarce, both males and females fed smaller fish, primarily young-of-the year perch, to the brood. As well, parents fed pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) to the chicks in 1982, whereas none were eaten in 1983. Parents foraged longer in 1982 than in 1983, and caught more but smaller fish. Such behavioral flexibility by parents may be important in buffering offspring from the inimical effects of environmental variation in resource yield.
