Foraging behavior and at-sea distribution of White-Tailed Tropicbirds in tropical ocean

Other titles Comportamento de forrageio e distribuição no mar do Rabo-de-palha-de-bico-laranja em oceano tropical
Type Article
Date 2018-08
Language English
Author(s) Campos L. F. A. S.1, Andrade A. B.1, Bertrand Sophie2, Efe M. A.1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Fed Alagoas UFAL, ICBS, Lab Bioecol & Conservacao Aves Neotrop LABECAN, Av Lourival Melo Mota,S-N Tabuleiro Martins, BR-57072900 Maceio, AL, Brazil.
2 : CRHMT, UMR248 MARBEC, IRD, Ave Jean Monnet,BP 171, F-34203 Sete, France.
Source Brazilian Journal Of Biology (1519-6984) (Int Inst Ecology), 2018-08 , Vol. 78 , N. 3 , P. 556-563
DOI 10.1590/1519-6984.173578
WOS© Times Cited 8
Keyword(s) Tropicbird, GPS, dual foraging, behavior
Abstract

We used miniaturized GPS loggers and site observations to access foraging patterns and nest behaviour of the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus (WTTB), an endangered species at its South Atlantic breeding colony. Dual foraging pattern was observed with alternation between long and short foraging trips. Birds responsible for nest attendance engaged in short foraging trips with mean distance from colony of 25 +/- 17 km, total distance covered of 79 +/- 65 km and mean duration of 4.02 +/- 5.28 hours. Birds flew by dawn and returned before dusk while partners were at sea for long foraging trips that ranged from four to 11 days, with mean maximum distance from colony of 105 +/- 47.48 km. Chicks were usually left alone for hours and chick predation by Land Crab Johngartia lagostroma, egg consumption by Goniopsis cruentata and intra-specific competition are suspected to be responsible for high chick mortality rates.

Abstract <p>Utilizamos aparelhos de GPS miniaturizados e observa&ccedil;&otilde;es de campo para determinar padr&otilde;es de forrageio e comportamento em ninho da esp&eacute;cie amea&ccedil;ada Rabos-de-palha-de-bico-laranja Phaethon lepturus em sua col&ocirc;nia reprodutiva do Atl&acirc;ntico Sul. Padr&atilde;o dual de forrageio foi observado, com altern&acirc;ncia entre viagens longas e curtas. Aves respons&aacute;veis por cuidado parental efetuaram viagens curtas de forrageio com em m&eacute;dia 25 &plusmn; 17 km de dist&acirc;ncia da col&ocirc;nia, dist&acirc;ncia total percorrida m&eacute;dia de 79 &plusmn; 65 km e dura&ccedil;&atilde;o m&eacute;dia de 4.02 &plusmn; 5.28 horas. As aves sa&iacute;ram da col&ocirc;nia entre o amanhecer e o entardecer, enquanto seus parceiros estavam em alto-mar em viagens longas de quatro a 11 dias de dura&ccedil;&atilde;o, com m&eacute;dia de dist&acirc;ncia m&aacute;xima da col&ocirc;nia de 105 &plusmn; 47.48 km. Filhotes foram constantemente deixados sozinhos por v&aacute;rias horas, e preda&ccedil;&atilde;o por Johngartia lagostroma, consumo de ovos por Goniopsis cruentata e competi&ccedil;&atilde;o intra-espec&iacute;fica possivelmente foram respons&aacute;veis por sua morte.</p>
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