2026/02/13 by Paolo Salvador, Piero Amodio, Daniele Grech +2 · 2 voices
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Animal behavior #Avian ecology and behavior #Exploit #Fish <Actinopterygii> #Foraging #Marine animal studies overview #Predation #Repertoire #Underwater
paper · doi:10.1163/1568539x-bja10356
openalex publication_date 2026/02/13 · openalex created_date 2026/02/20 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Abstract Ambush hunting is a highly effective tactic that enables close-range attacks by predators in disguise. While common across various animal groups, this foraging tactic is rare in seabirds. Here, we report an opportunistic observation suggesting that Mediterranean shags ( Gulosus aristotelis desmarestii ) might employ ambush tactics to seize small shoaling fish ( Atherina sp.). We observed one individual interacting repeatedly with particular submerged structures with the apparent intent of approaching their prey undetected. Building on a detailed analysis of our observation, we discuss alternative explanations for the observed behaviour including a potential multi-stage strategy entailing the active manipulation of the prey location. This preliminary evidence contributes to enrich shags’ foraging repertoire and highlights the need for further systematic research into the underwater behaviour of foot-propelled diving seabirds.