Which species discovers novel food sources first?A camera trap study in a natural environment

Birds underlie a predation-starvation risk,and foraging should show a diurnal/circadian pattern.Camera traps were used to study visitation patterns and discovery of a novel food source in woodland birds in SW Germany.A total of 18 species occurred at feeders with nine of them being exploratory species.Great Tits(Parus major)discovered novel food sources first in most instances,and first discoveries occurred on average at 10:38,while it took 97 h for the first detection of the food source.Population size was correlated with discovery.The study supports the predation-starva-tion risk hypothesis with discovery of food sources in the morning.