The research, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, revealed very different winter feedinghabits between the sexes of these wading shorebirds.
Feedinghabits in the second six months of life determine a child's future weight gain, so consuming too many calories in infancy can lead to obesity later on, he explained.
Although we can't say for sure if it is this early exposure to these foods that makes the difference or whether it is learned behaviour from the feedinghabits of the whole family that is important, it makes sense that fresh is best.