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Impact of miniature geolocation loggers on a small petrel, the thin-billed prion Pachyptila belcheri

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Abstract

Effects of deployment of miniaturised transmitters and loggers have been studied mainly in diving seabirds such as penguins, and less so in flying seabirds. However, some studies of albatrosses and petrels recorded extended trip durations and elevated rates of nest desertion following device attachment, especially if transmitter loads exceeded 3 % of adult mass. Studies have usually compared performance parameters such as trip duration, meal mass, breeding success or rate of return in the next season between birds with devices and controls. We here examined the effects of geolocator loggers (Global Location Sensing, (GLS)) on thin-billed prions Pachyptila belcheri (130 g), by comparing performance parameters and additionally eco-physiological parameters. GLS weighed ca. 1 % of the body mass, and were fixed on leg rings, which may influence the flight efficiency by creating an asymmetric load. We found no differences in the performance parameters, either in the season of attachment or the season following recovery. Similar stable isotope ratios in adult blood and feather samples further indicated that the foraging ecology was not influenced. However, after 1 year of logger deployment, adults differed in their hormonal response to stress: while baseline corticosterone levels were not influenced, corticosterone levels in response to handling were elevated. Moreover, increased heterophil/lymphocyte ratios and a decreased tail growth in winter suggest that carrying the GLS was energetically costly, and adults adapted physiologically to the higher work load, while keeping up a normal breeding performance.

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Acknowledgments

Fieldwork at New Island was supported by the New Island Conservation Trust, Ian, Maria and Georgina Strange, was approved by the Falkland Islands Government (Environmental Planning Office) and funded by grants provided by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (Qu 148/1ff). We thank Hendrika (Riek) van Noordwijk and Gabriele Schafheitle for help in the field and laboratory, respectively. Funding for the stable isotope work was provided by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK (Grant NE/102237X/1) and carried out at the Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility. We would like to thank Heiko Schmaljohann and Sylvie Vandenabeele for helpful comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Petra Quillfeldt

    Present address: Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 38, 35392, Giessen, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Ornithologie, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Germany

    Petra Quillfeldt, Katrin Ludynia & Juan F. Masello

  2. Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 38, 35392, Giessen, Germany

    Juan F. Masello

  3. Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 0QF, UK

    Rona A. R. McGill

  4. College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    Robert W. Furness

  5. Department of Natural Sciences-Biochemistry, Veterinary University of Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria

    Erich Möstl

  6. Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa

    Katrin Ludynia

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  1. Petra Quillfeldt
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Correspondence to Petra Quillfeldt.

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Communicated by S. Garthe.

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Quillfeldt, P., McGill, R.A.R., Furness, R.W. et al. Impact of miniature geolocation loggers on a small petrel, the thin-billed prion Pachyptila belcheri . Mar Biol 159, 1809–1816 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1971-0

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