Question

A group of long-billed prairie birds migrates from apristine, protected prairie to a nearby, newly restored prairie.They colonize and establish a breeding population in the restoredprairie. Years later, scientists compare the two bird populationsand find that long-billed prairie birds in the newly colonized areaconsume a much smaller range of food types than birds from theoriginal population, even though food availability is similar inthe two areas. What might be an explanation for this?

The two populations of the long-billed prairie-birds haddifferent fundamental niches, but the same realized niche

The original population of long-billed prairie-birds had higherlevels of competition for food resources and in order to findenough food had a more varied diet. Those in the newly colonizedarea faced less competition and adapted to a smaller range of foodtypes.

While the long-billed prairie-bird’s fundamental niche includeda wide range of prey species, competition with other species in thenewly colonized prairie reduced the realized niche such that fewerfood types were utilized

The long-billed prairie-bird’s fundamental niche shifted as aresult of competition with other species such that individuals inthe newly colonized prairie foraged on a smaller variety of foodtypes