DNA metabarcoding revealed how time and space do matter -sex does not- in the dietary variation of the endangered Duponts Lark

A species diet is highly dependent on the availability of food resources in space and time, as well as on intrinsic factors such as sex or age. Accurate assessments of variations in the diet composition of bird populations across spatial scales, seasons and demographic groups are essential not only for understanding the basic ecology of species, but also for the conservation of endangered ones. However, our current knowledge about how birds diet change according to spatio-temporal variations or intrinsic factors is very limited. Here, we used a multi-marker metabarcoding approach to characterize the diet of a declining shrub-steppe passerine, the Duponts Lark (Chersophilus duponti), throughout a large part of its global distribution range. We also investigated spatial, phenological and sexual variations in its diet. Using markers from two genomic regions (18S and COI), we analyzed fecal samples from 303 adult Duponts larks from Morocco and Spain during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Overall, arthropods from the orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Julida and Orthoptera were the main prey consumed by Duponts Larks. We found that Duponts Lark diet varied spatially, as well as temporally, reflecting dietary plasticity in response to changes in prey availability across landscapes and the species phenological periods. High dietary overlap and no differences between sexes were observed, suggesting similar foraging behavior and nutritional requirements in both sexes. This is the first study providing detailed information on Duponts Lark food ecology over much of its distribution, which is fundamental for the management and conservation of this declining steppe species.