Study
Selective foraging by fish-eating killer whales Orcinus orca in British Columbia
Ford, John K. B.; Ellis, Graeme M.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2006
Scales and tissue fragments were collected from the water at the sites of observed kills by resident killer whales over more than two decades, and identified to species.
- Studied in
- Orcinus orca, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
- Sample size
- prey fragments and scales collected at kill sites over 22 years
Resident killer whales fed overwhelmingly on Chinook salmon — the largest and fattiest but far from the most abundant species available — with sockeye and pink salmon taken rarely despite being many times more numerous.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
Fish-eating residents are highly selective, targeting Chinook specifically rather than salmon generally.
How NatureHQ reads it
A study whose value is almost entirely in how specific it is. "Orcas eat fish" and "these orcas depend on one declining salmon species" support completely different conservation conclusions, and only the second is true of southern residents. It is also the strongest available illustration of why the ecotypes should not be discussed as one animal: two populations sharing the same water eat entirely different things and do not interbreed.
- Prey fragment sampling under-represents small prey that leave nothing to collect.
- One region; other fish-eating populations differ.
- Diet is inferred from surface remains rather than from stomach contents.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Academic book publishersPublished as an academic monograph.
This reference was resolved automatically against Crossref on 2026-08-11.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-08-09.