Central Place Foraging

Central place foraging describes optimization when organisms must return to a fixed location (birds with nests, bees with hives). This changes the foraging math. Starlings feeding chicks face trade-offs: close sites have less travel time but lower caterpillar density (depleted from repeated visits); distant sites require more travel but offer higher density. The optimal strategy shifts based on needs - early in breeding season, forage close (chicks need frequent feeding); late in season, forage far (chicks need more food per trip). The starling adjusts foraging distance to maximize delivery rate, not foraging rate.