Release of glucocorticoids is considered a primary mediator of energy reallocation in response to challenges in vertebrates; many studies have measured or manipulated them on acute and chronic time scales to study effects on physiology, behavior, reproduction and survival. Fewer have explored potential sources of variation in the magnitude and consequences of glucocorticoid elevation, but telomere length may help explain interindividual variation in responses to challenges. We assessed the effects of acute reductions in food availability on behavior and physiology of free-living kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla ) by withholding a food supplement from incubating males after feeding for ~30 days. We assessed movement behavior for 48hrs pre- and post- withdrawal, and changes in body mass and corticosterone (CORT). We also tested the hypothesis that relative telomere length, a proxy for individual quality, explains variation in response to food withdrawal. Despite uninterrupted ability to forage at sea, birds responded to food withdrawal by increasing the number and duration of foraging trips, losing more weight and increasing CORT compared to continuously fed controls. However, overall, birds with longer telomeres made more trips and spent more time off the colony, while experiencing smaller increases in CORT. Longer telomere birds were more likely to fledge a chick among controls, and to return the next year regardless of treatment. This study supports the hypothesis that in this long-lived seabird, individuals with longer telomeres are higher quality, but under challenging conditions, prioritize investment in self over chicks.