Invisible trophic links? Quantifying the importance of non-standard food sources for key intertidal avian predators in the Eastern Atlantic

Research reveals that shorebirds, typically seen as predators of intertidal macroinvertebrates, significantly incorporate non-standard food sources into their diets. Using stable isotope analysis and Bayesian mixing models, the study found that supratidal saltpans can contribute over 30% to the biomass ingested by several shorebird species across four coastal wetlands in the Eastern Atlantic. Additionally, seagrass rhizomes accounted for more than 10% of the diet in some regions, while biofilm consumption was detected for the first time in the East Atlantic Flyway, specifically in the little stint (Calidris minuta). This study highlights the complexity and connectivity of intertidal food webs, challenging traditional views on shorebird trophic interactions.

Lourenço, P., Catry, T., Lopes, R., Piersma, T., & Granadeiro, J. (2017). Invisible trophic links? Quantifying the importance of non-standard food sources for key intertidal avian predators in the Eastern Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 563, 219–232. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11979