Influence of Parental Experience on the Growth of Wandering Albatross Chicks

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Abstract
The growth of the chicks and pattern of feeds to the chicks were studied for Wandering Albatross pairs (Diomedea exulans) with (1) no previous breeding experience, (2) a limited experience, and (3) an extensive experience. Chicks of inexperienced pairs grew more slowly than those of experienced pairs only during the first part of the fledging period and they had similar dimensions and weights when they left the colony. These differences resulted from different patterns of food delivery to the chicks during the first part of the fledging period; chicks of inexperienced pairs being fed less regularly but with larger meals than those of experienced pairs. The patterns of chick feedings were similar in the two categories during the second part of the fledging period. There was no difference between the feeding patterns for chicks of pairs with either an extensive or a limited experience and small differences in growth appeared only during the first weeks of life of the chicks, probably because of differences in egg size. These results suggest tht first-time breeders are slightly less efficient at feeding the chick than experienced birds, but they attain similar skills within a few months, and pairs do not increase their efficiency after a first fledging attempt.