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Phillips JA, Guilford T, Fayet AL. How do resource distribution and taxonomy affect the use of dual foraging in seabirds? A review. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:769-779. [PMID: 37744167 PMCID: PMC10516677 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In many seabird species, parents feeding young switch between short and long foraging excursions in a strategy known as "dual foraging." To investigate whether habitat quality near breeding colonies drives the use of dual foraging, we conducted a review of the seabird literature, compiling the results of 102 studies which identified dual-foraging in 50 species across nine families from all six seabird orders. We estimated the mean distance from the colony of each species' short and long foraging trips and obtained remote-sensed data on chlorophyll-a concentrations within the radius of both short and long trips around each colony. We then assessed, for each seabird family, the relationship between the use of dual foraging strategies and the difference in the quality of foraging locations between short- and long-distance foraging trips. We found that the probability of dual foraging grew with increasing differences in the quality of foraging locations available during short- and long-distance trips. We also found that when controlling for differences in habitat quality, albatrosses and penguins were less likely to use dual foraging than Procellariidae, which in turn were less likely to use dual foraging than Sulids. This study helps clarify how environmental conditions and taxon-specific characteristics influence seabird foraging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Phillips
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Ocean Networks Canada, 2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC V8N 1V8, Canada
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Annette L Fayet
- Department of Zoology, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
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Santos SH, Martins BS, Ramos JA, Pereira JM, Almeida N, Gonçalves AMM, Matos DM, Norte AC, Rodrigues IF, Dos Santos I, Araújo PM, Paiva VH. Omega-3 enriched chick diet reduces the foraging areas of breeders in two closely related shearwaters from contrasting marine environments. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb244690. [PMID: 37326253 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds have evolved several life-history characteristics to help buffer environmental stochasticity. However, particularly during the breeding season, seabirds may be affected by reductions in prey availability and localised oceanographic conditions caused by variations in the environment. The increase in sea surface temperature, triggered by accelerated global warming, is impairing phytoplankton production of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs). Here, we assessed the ecological role of omega-3 FAs on chick development and subsequently on breeder foraging behaviour in two closely related shearwater species foraging in contrasting marine environments. We supplemented chicks with omega-3 FA pills or with control placebo pills and monitored chick growth, chick health status and breeder at-sea foraging behaviour using global positioning system devices. We found that omega-3 chick supplementation reduced the 95% kernel utilization distribution of short trips of Cape Verde shearwaters, but overall, breeders kept a similar foraging pattern between treatments, potentially influenced by predictable prey patches off the West African coast. In contrast, for Cory's shearwaters, the parents of the omega-3 group greatly reduced the foraging effort. This suggests that the proximity to productive prey patches around the colony may help birds to adjust their effort and, therefore, energy expenditure, to changes in the development of their offspring, as driven by their nutritional status. Overall, our results suggest a link between a chick diet enriched in omega-3 FAs and parental foraging effort, providing insight into their ability to cope with a changing and increasingly stochastic marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara H Santos
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Beatriz S Martins
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jaime A Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge M Pereira
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Nathalie Almeida
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Biosfera Cabo Verde, Sul do Cemitério, Rua 5 - Caixa Postal 233-000, São Vicente, Cabo Verde
| | - Ana M M Gonçalves
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Diana M Matos
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Norte
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel F Rodrigues
- Biosfera Cabo Verde, Sul do Cemitério, Rua 5 - Caixa Postal 233-000, São Vicente, Cabo Verde
| | - Ivo Dos Santos
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Pedro M Araújo
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Vitor H Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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3
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Allen JM, Hodinka BL, Hall HM, Leonard KM, Williams TD. Flexible growth and body mass predict physiological condition at fledging in the synchronously breeding European starling, Sturnus vulgaris. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220583. [PMID: 35706664 PMCID: PMC9174708 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have reported beneficial carryover effects of juvenile development that predict interspecific survival differences at independence. Yet, traits relating to body size (i.e. morphological traits) have proven to be unreliable predictors of juvenile survival within species. Exploring individual variation of growth trajectories and how they covary with physiology could reveal species-specific developmental modes which have implications for our assessments of juvenile quality. Here, we investigated morphological development of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) approaching fledging in relation to three components of physiological condition at independence: aerobic capacity, energy state and oxidative status. We found evidence of flexible mass and wing growth which independently covaried with fledgling energy state and aerobic capacity, respectively. By comparison, tarsus and wing length at fledging were unrelated to any physiological trait, while mass was positively associated with principal component scores that comprised aerobic capacity and energy state. Thus, flexible growth trajectories were consistent with 'developmental plasticity': adaptive pre-fledging mass recession and compensatory wing growth, which seemingly came at a physiological cost, while fledgling body mass positively reflected overall physiological condition. This highlights how patterns of growth and absolute size may differently reflect fledgling physiology, potentially leading to variable relationships between morphological traits and juvenile fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M. Allen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brett L. Hodinka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hannah M. Hall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kathryn M. Leonard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tony D. Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Puskic PS, Lavers JL, Adams LR, Grünenwald M, Hutton I, Bond AL. Uncovering the sub-lethal impacts of plastic ingestion by shearwaters using fatty acid analysis. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz017. [PMID: 31110767 PMCID: PMC6521682 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Marine plastic pollution is increasing exponentially, impacting an expanding number of taxa each year across all trophic levels. Of all bird groups, seabirds display the highest plastic ingestion rates and are regarded as sentinels of pollution within their foraging regions. The consumption of plastic contributes to sub-lethal impacts (i.e. morbidity, starvation) in a handful of species. Additional data on these sub-lethal effects are needed urgently to better understand the scope and severity of the plastics issue. Here we explore the application of fatty acid (FA) analysis as a novel tool to investigate sub-lethal impacts of plastic ingestion on seabird body condition and health. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we identified 37 individual FAs within the adipose, breast muscle and liver of flesh-footed (Ardenna carneipes) and short-tailed (Ardenna tenuirostris) shearwaters. We found high amounts of FA 16:0, 18:0, 20:5n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid), 22:6n3 (docosahexaenoic acid) and 18:1n9 in both species; however, the overall FA composition of the two species differed significantly. In flesh-footed shearwaters, high amounts of saturated and mono-unsaturated FAs (needed for fast and slow release energy, respectively) in the adipose and muscle tissues were related to greater bird body mass. While total FAs were not related to the amount of plastic ingested in either species, these data are a valuable contribution to the limited literature on FAs in seabirds. We encourage studies to explore other analytical tools to detect these sub-lethal impacts of plastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S Puskic
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Lavers
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
- Corresponding author: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia. Tel: +613 6324 3868.
| | - Louise R Adams
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Martin Grünenwald
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ian Hutton
- Lord Howe Island Museum, P.O. Box 157, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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5
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Cianchetti-Benedetti M, Becciu P, Massa B, Dell’Omo G. Conflicts between touristic recreational activities and breeding shearwaters: short-term effect of artificial light and sound on chick weight. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1178-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Arnold JM, Nisbet ICT, Oswald SA. Energetic constraint of non-monotonic mass change during offspring growth: a general hypothesis and application of a new tool. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:476-86. [PMID: 26542748 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Post-natal growth is an important life-history trait and can be a sensitive indicator of ecological stress. For over 50 years, monotonic (never-decreasing) growth has been viewed as the predominant trajectory of post-natal mass change in most animal species, notably among birds. However, prevailing analytical approaches and energetic constraints may limit detection of non-monotonic (or multiphasic), determinate growth patterns, such as mass recession in birds (weight loss prior to fledging, preceded by overshooting adult mass), which is currently believed to be restricted to few taxa. Energetic surplus and shortfall are widespread conditions that can directly influence the degree of mass overshooting and recession. Thus, we hypothesize that in many species, prevailing energetic constraints force mass change away from a fundamental non-monotonic trajectory to instead follow a monotonic curve. We observed highly non-monotonic, mass change trajectories (overshooting adult mass by up to almost 20%) among common tern Sterna hirundo chicks, a well-studied species long-established as growing monotonically. We quantified the prevalence and magnitude of non-monotonic mass change prior to fledging for 313 common tern chicks that successfully fledged from two discrete populations in multiple years. We used a new approach for analysing non-monotonic curves to examine differences in mass change trajectories between populations under contrasting abiotic (freshwater vs. saltwater) and biotic stresses (low rates of food provisioning). Some degree of mass recession occurred in 73% of all study chicks. Overshooting adult mass followed by extensive mass recession was most prevalent at our freshwater colony, being detected among 34-38% of chicks annually. Non-monotonic trajectories were less marked in populations experiencing ecological stress and among lower quality individuals. Chicks that were provisioned at higher rates were more likely to both overshoot adult mass and experience subsequent mass recession. Our results in common terns provide strong support for the hypothesis that non-monotonic trajectories are the fundamental pattern of mass change but are constrained to be monotonic under energetic shortfall. This justifies future tests of the generality of this hypothesis across a broad range of taxa. We also demonstrate a recent analytical tool that prevents routine fitting of monotonic curves without prior investigation of non-monotonic trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Arnold
- Division of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus, 2080 Tulpehocken Road, Reading, PA, 19610, USA
| | - Ian C T Nisbet
- I.C.T. Nisbet & Company, 150 Alder Lane, North Falmouth, MA, 02556, USA
| | - Stephen A Oswald
- Division of Science, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus, 2080 Tulpehocken Road, Reading, PA, 19610, USA
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8
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Ogawa M, Shiozaki T, Shirai M, Müller MS, Yamamoto M, Yoda K. How do biparental species optimally provision young when begging is honest? Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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9
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Richman SE, Leafloor JO, Karasov WH, McWilliams SR. Ecological implications of reduced forage quality on growth and survival of sympatric geese. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:284-98. [PMID: 25081822 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Allometric constraints associated with digesting leaves require relatively small avian herbivores to consume high-quality forage. How such constraints are overcome during ontogeny when energy and nutrient requirements are relatively high has not been adequately explored. We compared growth trajectories of Canada and lesser snow goose goslings raised on grass-based diets that differed in protein (10%, 14% or 18%) and fibre (30% or 45%) with those of free-living goslings on Akimiski Island, Canada. This common-garden experiment allowed us to test the hypotheses that (i) smaller-bodied geese are more negatively affected by reduced forage quality than larger-bodied geese, and (ii) goslings from subarctic brood-rearing areas have a limited capacity to slow growth in response to reduced forage quality. Canada goose goslings fed low-protein (10%) diets were on average 44% lighter in body mass, had slower growth rates and were delayed >20 days in reaching 90% of asymptotic size compared with Canada goose goslings fed 18% protein. In contrast, snow goose goslings were unable to survive on the low-protein diets, and those fed high- or medium-protein diets grew at a similar rate and achieved similar asymptotic size. Canada and snow goose goslings fed low-protein diets had reduced growth rates of the tarsus and delayed emergence of the 9th primary. Free-ranging Canada goslings on Akimiski Island were similar in mass and structural size to captive-reared goslings fed low-protein diets. In contrast, snow goslings were similar in mass and structural size to the captive-reared goslings fed the high- and medium-protein diets. This suggests that degraded habitats with mostly low-protein forage may be able to support Canada goslings better than snow goslings which require higher-quality forage to survive. Size-related differences in gosling growth and survival in response to diminished diet quality may influence population size when available food reaches a lower threshold in protein content. However, goslings can avoid such density-dependent population regulation if they are able to move their broods and find adequate quality and quantity of forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E Richman
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI, USA.,Long Point Waterfowl, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON, N0E 1M0, Canada
| | - James O Leafloor
- Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 123 Main Street, Suite 150, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4W2, Canada
| | - William H Karasov
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, 226 Russell Laboratories, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Scott R McWilliams
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI, USA
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10
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Mauck RA, Huntington CE, Doherty Jr PF. Experience versus effort: what explains dynamic heterogeneity with respect to age? OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20271.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Kozlowski CP, Mauck RA, O'Reilly KM, Philipsborn J, Ricklefs RE. Changes in plasma hormone levels correlate with fledging in nestling Leach's storm-petrels. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2010; 169:91-7. [PMID: 20688060 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Leach's storm-petrels accumulate large amounts of body mass throughout the nestling period. Approximately 4days before fledging, nestlings weigh 50-100% more than adults. In order to shed this excess mass, nestlings engage in behavioral anorexia, and leave the burrow when they are light enough to fly. During this prefledging period, we measured several plasma hormones (corticosterone, thyroxine, and testosterone) to determine whether the behavioral changes associated with fledging are correlated with endocrine changes. In several species, including petrels, corticosterone levels are known to increase near fledging. Reduced food consumption has been shown to elevate corticosterone levels and decrease thyroxine levels in nestling birds. In nestling storm-petrels, levels of both corticosterone and thyroxine increased. Storm-petrels were found to secrete measurable levels of testosterone, but levels did not change during the prefledging period. Increased corticosterone levels might be part of an endocrine signal that initiates changes in feeding behavior, or may result from reduced food intake. Elevated thyroxine levels may be related to metabolic changes involved in mass loss. Future experimental work is needed to ascertain whether the described endocrine changes are responsible for, or result from, prefledging changes in petrel feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne P Kozlowski
- Research Department, Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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12
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Sprague RS, Breuner CW. Timing of fledging is influenced by glucocorticoid physiology in Laysan Albatross chicks. Horm Behav 2010; 58:297-305. [PMID: 20223237 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2009] [Revised: 02/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/02/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fledging is a major life transition for birds, when juveniles move from the safety of a nest into an environment where they must find food and avoid predators. The timing of fledging within a season can have significant effects on future survival and breeding success. Proximate triggers of fledging are unknown: though wing development is likely a primary factor, other physiological changes, such as elevated plasma corticosterone (CORT), may affect fledging behavior. Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) chicks have an extended post-hatching period during which they reach 150% of adult mass. However, approaching fledging, chicks fast for days to weeks and lose mass while still putting energy into feather growth. We evaluated chick morphology and physiology to elucidate proximate triggers of fledging. As in some other species, CORT increased as chicks fasted and lost body mass. At the same time, corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) declined, thus amplifying free CORT prior to fledging. Once chicks reached a morphological threshold, free CORT levels predicted how long they stayed at the colony: chicks with higher free CORT fledged sooner. To perturb the relationship between body condition, endocrine physiology, and fledging behavior, we supplementally fed chicks for the month before fledging. Fed birds had a slower decrease in body mass, slower decrease in CBG, slower increase in free CORT, and stayed at the colony longer after reaching a morphological threshold. Our study suggests that as chicks lose mass, free CORT acts as a signal of energetic or nutritional state to adjust the timing of fledging.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Sprague
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.
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14
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Corbel H, Morlon F, Geiger S, Groscolas R. State-dependent decisions during the fledging process of king penguin chicks. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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15
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Riou S, Hamer KC. Predation risk and reproductive effort: impacts of moonlight on food provisioning and chick growth in Manx shearwaters. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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16
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Composition of the body mass overshoot in European barn owl nestlings (Tyto alba ): insurance against scarcity of energy or water? J Comp Physiol B 2008; 178:563-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-007-0246-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2007] [Revised: 12/17/2007] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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17
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Wright J, Markman S, Denney SM. Facultative adjustment of pre-fledging mass loss by nestling swifts preparing for flight. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:1895-900. [PMID: 16822749 PMCID: PMC1634777 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2006] [Accepted: 02/23/2006] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nestling birds often maintain nutritional reserves to ensure continual growth during interruptions in parental provisioning. However, mass-dependent flight costs require the loss of excess mass before fledging. Here we test whether individual variable mass loss prior to fledging is controlled through facultative adjustments by nestlings, or whether it reflects physiologically inflexible developmental schedules. We show that in the face of natural and experimental variation in nestling body mass and wing length, swifts always achieve very similar wing loadings (body mass per wing area) prior to fledging, presumably because this represents the optimum for flight. Experimental weights (approx. 5% body mass) temporarily attached to nestlings caused additional reductions in mass, such that final wing loadings still matched those of control siblings. Experimental reductions in nestling wing length (approx. 5% trimmed from feather tips) resulted in similar additional mass reductions, allowing wing loadings at fledging to approach control levels. We suggest that nestlings may assess their body mass relative to wing area via wing flapping and special 'push-ups' (on the tips of extended wings) performed in the nest. Thus, by facultatively adjusting body mass, but not wing growth, nestling swifts are always able to fledge with aerodynamically appropriate wing loadings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Wright
- Institute of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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18
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Hipfner J, Gaston A, Smith B. Regulation of provisioning rate in the Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia). CAN J ZOOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1139/z06-066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Many studies of marine birds report that parents regulate provisioning, thus meeting their offsprings’ nutritional requirements at minimum cost. Others report that food availability limits provisioning, mediated by parental body condition. One hypothesis that might explain these discrepancies holds that seabirds are better able to regulate provisioning under more favourable feeding conditions. To test this, we studied provisioning behaviour in the Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia L., 1758) in three colony-years that, based on chick growth rates, spanned a wide range of feeding conditions. We considered that parents regulating provisioning would (i) deliver more food as their offspring aged, to meet their increasing requirements, (ii) space consecutive deliveries nonrandomly in time, and (iii) maintain additional mass to buffer against future deterioration in feeding conditions. As predicted, we found that (i) provisioning rates increased with chick age in all three colony-years, but more strongly when feeding conditions were better; (ii) consecutive deliveries were spaced nonrandomly in all three colony-years, again more strongly when feeding conditions were better; and (iii) adults were heavier at mid chick-rearing when feeding conditions were better. Future studies that investigate how feeding conditions influence seabird provisioning could improve our understanding of how long-lived species optimize reproductive effort in variable environments.
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MAUCK RA, MATSON KD, PHILIPSBORN J, RICKLEFS RE. Increase in the constitutive innate humoral immune system in Leach's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) chicks is negatively correlated with growth rate. Funct Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2005.01060.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Takenaka M, Niizuma Y, Watanuki Y. Resource allocation in fledglings of the rhinoceros auklet under different feeding conditions: an experiment manipulating meal size and frequency. CAN J ZOOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1139/z05-145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
By manipulating meal size and frequency in an alcid, the rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata (Pallas, 1811)), we examined two hypotheses: (1) poorly fed chicks allocate resources preferentially to developing organs essential for fledging, and (2) intermittently fed chicks deposit more lipids than regularly fed ones. Chicks were fed normal (NORMAL; 40–80 g, mean meal mass in a normal year), small (LOW; 26–54 g, half of NORMAL), or large (HIGH; 80–160 g, twice as much as NORMAL) amounts of sandlance (Ammodytes personatus Girard, 1856) every day or the large meal (80–160 g) every 2 days (INTERMITTENT). Chicks fed more food grew faster. The HIGH group had the greatest fledging mass and shortest fledging period. The wingspan and brain mass of fledglings did not differ among groups. The heart, liver, and breast muscle at fledging were 15%–25% smaller in the LOW group than in the NORMAL group but did not differ between the NORMAL and HIGH groups. The total lipid was 43% greater in the HIGH group than in the NORMAL group, and that of the LOW group was 38% smaller. The INTERMITTENT group had a similar lipid mass to the NORMAL group. Chicks feeding on small meals seemed to maintain the growth of organs essential for fledging, while chicks feeding on large meals seemed to deposit a surplus as lipid rather than allocate more to the development of organs.
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Kitaysky AS, Romano MD, Piatt JF, Wingfield JC, Kikuchi M. The adrenocortical response of tufted puffin chicks to nutritional deficits. Horm Behav 2005; 47:606-19. [PMID: 15811363 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2004] [Revised: 12/28/2004] [Accepted: 01/05/2005] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In several seabirds, nutritional state of a nest-bound chick is negatively correlated with the activity of its hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Increased corticosterone (cort) secretion has been shown to facilitate changes in behavior that allow hungry chicks to obtain more food from parents. However, if parents are not willing/able to buffer their young from temporary food shortages, increased cort secretion could be detrimental to undernourished chicks. In a system where parents are insensitive to chick demands, low benefits and high costs of activation of the HPA-axis in hungry chicks should lead to a disassociation of the nutritional state of the young and the activity of its HPA-axis. We tested this novel hypothesis for the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), a seabird with intermittent provisioning of a nest-bound semi-precocial chick. We examined the HPA-axis activity of captive chicks exposed to the following: (1) a short-term (24 h) food deprivation; and (2) an array of prolonged (3 weeks) restrictions in feeding regimens. We found that in response to a short-term food deprivation chicks decreased baseline levels of cort and thyroid hormones. In response to prolonged restrictions, food-limited chicks exhibited signs of nutritional deficit: they had lower body mass, endogenous lipid reserves, and thyroid hormone titers compared to chicks fed ad libitum. However, baseline and maximum acute stress-induced levels of cort were also lower in food-restricted chicks compared to those of chicks fed ad libitum. These results support a major prediction of the study hypothesis that puffin chicks suppress HPA-axis activity in response to short- and long-term nutritional deficits. This physiological adaptation may allow a chick to extend its development in the nest, while eluding detrimental effects of chronic cort elevation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
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MAUCK RA, RICKLEFS RE. Control of fledging age in Leach's Storm-Petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa: chick development and prefledging mass loss. Funct Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2005.00933.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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23
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Varpe Ø, Tveraa T, Folstad I. State-dependent parental care in the Antarctic petrel: responses to manipulated chick age during early chick rearing. OIKOS 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2004.13212.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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24
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Abstract
Age-specific reproductive success has been demonstrated in many species. Three hypotheses have been raised to explain this general phenomenon: the experience hypothesis based on age-specific reproductive experience, the effort hypothesis based on age-specific reproductive effort, and the selection hypothesis based on progressive disappearance of phenotypes due to variation in individual productivity and survival. We used data from a long-term study of Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) to present a single test of mutually exclusive predictions about the relationship between early breeding success and longevity. There should be no correlation between early breeding success and longevity under the experience hypothesis, a negative correlation under the effort hypothesis, and a positive correlation under the selection hypothesis. We found a significant (P < 0.0001) positive relationship between success in the first two breeding attempts and longevity in this population of long-lived seabirds, strongly suggesting that low-productivity parents were also less likely to survive early breeding. These data provide some of the strongest support to date for the selection hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Mauck
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
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Mauck RA, Huntington CE, Grubb TC. AGE-SPECIFIC REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS: EVIDENCE FOR THE SELECTION HYPOTHESIS. Evolution 2004. [DOI: 10.1554/03-147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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26
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Phillips RA, Green JA, Phalan B, Croxall JP, Butler PJ. Chick metabolic rate and growth in three species of albatross: a comparative study. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2003; 135:185-93. [PMID: 12727555 DOI: 10.1016/s1095-6433(03)00073-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The relative importance of genetic vs. environmental factors in determining the pattern of avian post-embryonic development is much debated. Previous cross-fostering of albatrosses suggested that although inter-specific variation in growth rate was determined primarily by differences in dietary energy content, species-specific constraints might have evolved that could limit maximal growth, even in chicks fed at similar rates and on similar diets. This study aimed to determine whether intrinsic differences in resting metabolic rate were apparent during the linear phase of growth in chicks of three species (black-browed, grey-headed and light-mantled sooty albatrosses). There was a gradual increase in absolute, and a reduction in mass-specific metabolic rate from 5.0 W kg(-1) during the earliest part of linear growth, to 3.5 W kg(-1) by the time chicks reached peak mass. These values are considerably higher than in resting adults of comparable or lower mass, presumably reflecting the large size and high metabolic demand of organs involved in rapid nutrient processing and tissue synthesis by chicks. The lack of any detectable inter-specific variation in the pattern of metabolic rate changes casts some doubt on the existence of fundamental differences in growth rate that cannot be attributed simply to differences in dietary energy or nutrient delivery rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
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Phillips RA, Croxall JP. Control of provisioning in grey-headed albatrosses (Thalassarche chrysostoma): do adults respond to chick condition? CAN J ZOOL 2003. [DOI: 10.1139/z02-234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have been equivocal in determining whether long-lived seabirds are able to respond to chick nutritional status and regulate provisioning rates accordingly. With some exceptions, albatrosses and petrels that feed their chicks every 13 days seem able to respond to variability in chick condition. In contrast, those with longer overall feeding periodicity and that frequently show a dual foraging strategy, mixing short trips (which most benefit the chick) with longer, pelagic feeding excursions (during which time adults recover lost condition), tend not to regulate provisioning. We used a combined observational and experimental approach to determine whether feeding rates in grey-headed albatrosses (Thalassarche chrysostoma) were determined by parental foraging proficiency and (or) offspring demand. The results indicated that both factors were important. Adults showed consistent differences in provisioning characteristics, but chick satiation and solicitation also influenced the mass of the meal delivered when adults returned. Given a provisioning schedule characterised by relatively frequent colony visits and with no means of assessing the feeding success of their partner in the interim, the adjustment of meal mass upon arrival appears to be a simple means of tailoring prey delivery to changing chick requirements and is likely to be as effective as alternative strategies suggested for other species of Procellariiform.
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Hamer KC, Lynnes AS, Hill JK. Regulation of chick provisioning rate in Manx Shearwaters: experimental evidence and implications for nestling obesity. Funct Ecol 2002. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2435.1998.00223.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Takahashi A, Niizuma Y, Watanuki Y. Regulation of food provisioning and parental body condition in Leach’s storm‐petrels,Oceanodroma leucorhoa: Experimental manipulation of offspring food demand. Ecol Res 2002. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1703.1999.00285.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akinori Takahashi
- Akkeshi Marine Biological Station, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Aikkappu, Akkeshi, Hokkaido 088‐11, Japan and
| | - Yasuaki Niizuma
- Laboratory of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060‐8589, Japan
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Laboratory of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060‐8589, Japan
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Tveraa T, Sether B, Aanes R, Erikstad KE. Regulation of food provisioning in the Antarctic petrel; the importance of parental body condition and chick body mass. J Anim Ecol 2001. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.1998.00234.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Torkild Tveraa
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Department of Arctic Ecology, Storgata 25, N‐9005 Tromsø, Norway, and Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Tromsø, N‐9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bernt‐Erik Sether
- Department of Zoology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N‐7034 Trondheim, Norway, and Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, N‐7005 Trondheim, Norway; and
| | - Ronny Aanes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, N‐7005 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kjell Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Department of Arctic Ecology, Storgata 25, N‐9005 Tromsø, Norway, and Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Tromsø, N‐9037 Tromsø, Norway
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Weimerskirch H, Zimmermann L, Prince PA. Influence of environmental variability on breeding effort in a long-lived seabird, the yellow-nosed albatross. Behav Ecol 2001. [DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.beheco.a000374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Granadeiro JP, Bolton M, Silva MC, Nunes M, Furness RW. Responses of breeding Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea to experimental manipulation of chick condition. Behav Ecol 2000. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/11.3.274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Booth AM, Minot EO, Imber MJ, Fordham RA. Aspects of the breeding ecology of the North Island little shearwaterPuffinus assimilis haurakiensis. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2000. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2000.9518243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Phillips RA, Hamer KC. Lipid reserves, fasting capability and the evolution of nestling obesity in procellariiform seabirds. Proc Biol Sci 1999. [DOI: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - K. C. Hamer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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Granadeiro JP, Nunes M, Silva MC, Furness RW. Flexible foraging strategy of Cory's shearwater, Calonectris diomedea, during the chick-rearing period. Anim Behav 1998; 56:1169-1176. [PMID: 9819333 DOI: 10.1006/anbe.1998.0827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Procellariiformes are well known for their low rates of food provisioning to their slow-growing chicks. In some species, the patterns of food delivery to chicks have been deduced from changes in their weight, obtained from periodic weighings. However, the behaviour of individual parents cannot be resolved using this method. In this study, we used a periodic weighing protocol with Cory's shearwater chicks on Selvagem Grande island, in the northeast Atlantic. In addition, we used an automatic logging system to examine the attendance of individual parents. In 1997, the chicks were fed infrequently, and were in significantly poorer condition, than in other years and at other colonies. This suggests that the adults were experiencing some difficulties in finding an adequate food supply close to the colony. Under these conditions, individual parents adopted a dual provisioning strategy, making both short and long foraging trips, a previously undescribed behaviour in any northern hemisphere petrel species. Although meals delivered to chicks were larger after long trips than after short trips, the average amount of food provisioned per day spent at sea decreased with increasing trip length, and so chicks did not benefit from longer trips. This finding suggests that long trips can be used to restore the adult's body condition, presumably depleted during short trips as shown previously for some petrels and albatrosses. The adoption of this flexible foraging strategy, which differs from the uniform intervals observed in Cory's shearwaters experiencing situations of 'normal' food abundance, may represent a mechanism through which breeding birds compromise between the needs of their chicks and the maintenance of their own body condition. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
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Durant JM, Handrich Y. Growth and food requirement flexibility in captive chicks of the European barn owl (Tyto alba). J Zool (1987) 1998. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1998.tb00083.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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37
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Mianguez E. Nestling feeding strategy of the British storm-petrelHydrobates pelagicusin a Mediterranean colony. J Zool (1987) 1996. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05467.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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