THE ROLE OF FORAGING ECOLOGY IN THE CONTRASTING RESPONSES OF TWO DARK TERNS TO A CHANGING OCEAN CLIMATE.

The article discusses long-term trends in the timing of breeding of both the Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus and Brown Noddy Anous stolidus in relation to the El Nino Southern Oscillation. It also explores the foraging ecology of the two species off southwestern Australia and explains the role that differences in foraging ecology between the two species may have in considering contrasting population responses to a shifting ocean climate. It predicts that species-specific responses to changes in ocean climate will lead to a significant drop in Bown Noddy, and perhaps Lesser Noddy and Sooty Tern populations, in the region.