Data from: Coexistence of three sympatric cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.); partitioning of time as an ecological resource

Resource partitioning is well-known along food and habitat for reducing competition among sympatric species, yet study on temporal partitioning as a viable basis for reducing resource competition is not empirically investigated. Here, I attempt to identify the mechanism of temporal partitioning by intra and interspecific diving analyses of three sympatric cormorant species at different freshwater wetlands around the Delhi region. Diving results indicated that cormorants opted for a shallow diving; consequently, they did not face any physiological stress. Moreover, diving durations were linked with seasons, foraging time and foraging habitats. Intraspecific comparison suggested that cormorants spent longer time underwater in early hours of the day. Therefore, time spent for dive was higher in the forenoon than late afternoon, and the interspecific analysis also yielded a similar result. When P. niger and P. fuscicollis shared same foraging habitat, they tended to differ in their foraging time (forenoon / afternoon). However, when P. niger and P. carbo shared same foraging time, they tended to utilize different foraging habitats (lentic / lotic) leading to a mechanism of resource partitioning. Thus, sympatric cormorants effectively use time as a resource to exploit the food resources and successful coexistence.