Corneal opacity in Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) equipped with radio transmitters

Abstract

ABSTRACT This note is intended to try to shed light on the discoveries made entitled “Biologging is suspect to cause corneal opacity in two populations of wild living Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita)”. In this article, researchers participating in a reintroduction program for this endangered species in Europe document the unilateral corneal opacity that took place after birds were equipped with solar radio transmitters fixed on their upper-back position. The authors propose several possible effects caused by the device to explain the problem, and they conclude that the most parsimonious explanation for the symptomatology is a repetitive slight temperature rise in the corneal tissue due to electromagnetic radiation by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) module of the device. The proposal of this communication is that these effects do not necessarily have to be thermal, but they can be non-thermal and thus more subtle and insidious. These effects may be caused by electromagnetic radiation at low levels but in long-term exposure.