Swans give up resting time to fight over the best feeding spots, new research shows.
Swans give up resting time to fight over the best feeding spots, new research shows.
Scientists studied the behaviour of mute and whooper swans, to see how they used their time and energy.
Watching four key behaviours – aggression, foraging, maintenance (preening, cleaning and oiling feathers) and resting – they found a "trade-off" between aggression and rest, meaning that "increased aggression is achieved at the expense of resting".
The study, by the University of Exeter and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), could help managers of nature reserves design habitats that reduce the need for aggression.
Read more at University of Exeter
Photo Credit: rihaij via Pixabay
