@article{fdi:010049409,
  title = {{U}se of social information in seabirds : compass rafts indicate the heading of food patches},
  author = {{W}eimerskirch, {H}. and {B}ertrand, {S}ophie and {S}ilva, {J}. and {M}arques, {J}. {C}. and {G}oya, {E}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}ard and {Z}ahavi suggested in 1973 that colonies could serve as information centres, through a transfer of information on the location of food resources between unrelated individuals ({I}nformation {C}entre {H}ypothesis). {U}sing {GPS} tracking and observations on group movements, we studied the search strategy and information transfer in two of the most colonial seabirds, {G}uanay cormorants ({P}halacrocorax bougainvillii) and {P}eruvian boobies ({S}ula variegata). {B}oth species breed together and feed on the same prey. {T}hey do return to the same feeding zone from one trip to the next indicating high unpredictability in the location of food resources. {W}e found that the {G}uanay cormorants use social information to select their bearing when departing the colony. {T}hey form a raft at the sea surface whose position is continuously adjusted to the bearing of the largest returning columns of cormorants. {A}s such, the raft serves as a compass signal that gives an indication on the location of the food patches. {C}onversely, {P}eruvian boobies rely mainly on personal information based on memory to take heading at departure. {T}hey search for food patches solitarily or in small groups through network foraging by detecting the white plumage of congeners visible at long distance. {O}ur results show that information transfer does occur and we propose a new mechanism of information transfer based on the use of rafts off colonies. {T}he use of rafts for information transfer may be common in central place foraging colonial seabirds that exploit short lasting and/or unpredictably distributed food patches. {O}ver the past decades {G}uanay cormorants have declined ten times whereas {P}eruvian boobies have remained relatively stable. {W}e suggest that the decline of the cormorants could be related to reduced social information opportunities and that social behaviour and search strategies have the potential to play an important role in the population dynamics of colonial animals.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {5},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {e9928},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0009928},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010049409},
}