Atlantic Puffins Fratercula Arctica Research Articles

Long‐term changes in breeding phenology at two seabird colonies in the western North Sea

There is compelling evidence that the breeding phenology of many species has changed substantially in recent decades. However, taxonomic and spatial variation in the direction and rate of change is still not well understood. We explored these issues by analysing a dataset containing information on first egg dates of 10 species of seabird at two major breeding colonies (86 km apart) in the western North Sea over a period of 35 years. Within a species, timing of breeding was positively correlated between the two colonies, suggesting that factors affecting the phenology of these species operated at a regional rather than a colony scale. Comparison of time trends among the species revealed contrasting patterns, with some showing no systematic change, others becoming earlier and others later. The clearest species groupings appeared to be among the terns with arrival and/or first egg dates becoming earlier in Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea, Common Terns Sterna hirundo and Sandwich Terns Sterna sandvicensis, and among the auks (Common Guillemot Uria aalge, Razorbill Alca torda and Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica) and Black‐legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla where the trend was in the opposite direction towards later breeding. This general trend towards later breeding in the latter group of species contrasts with correlational evidence from many other organisms indicating that breeding phenology is advancing in response to climate change.

Fledging weights of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica on Sule Skerry, Scotland, with reference to a relatively poor season in 2005

The weights and wing lengths of fledgling Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica on the island of Sule Skerry, Scotland were recorded in eight seasons between 1982 and 2005. Chicks in 2005 were notably underweight compared to previous years. Measurements of 38 chicks over a period of 21 days showed that chicks grew very slowly and that fledging success was low. These findings and the records of pipefish (Sygnathidae) in the diet, suggest that conditions were unusually poor for Atlantic Puffins at Sule Skerry in 2005.

Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis successfully drives off a Great Skua Stercorarius skua

While seabird monitoring at Sumburgh Head, Shetland on 18 June 2008, I noticed a particularly bulky Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis (hereafter ‘Fulmar’) on the sea, feeding on a dead Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica (hereafter ‘Puffin’). What caught my attention was the apparent size of the Fulmar, appearing almost twice normal! While tugging at the Puffin, it held its wings constantly half arched in a very intimidating posture, unlike anything I have seen before. The reason for this soon became evident when a nearby Great Skua Stercorarius skua flew in to try and steal the corpse, though the skua was almost certainly the original killer of the Puffin.

Numbers of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica found on beached bird surveys in Orkney and Shetland over a 30-year period

Long-term beached bird survey data from Orkney and Shetland were examined for abnormal mortality patterns of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica that coincided with decreased breeding numbers at colonies in eastern Britain. Unusually high numbers of dead Atlantic Puffins were found in the late winters of 2002/03 and 2003/04, autumn and early winter 2006, and autumn 2007, although not necessarily in both island groups at the same time. The 2007 mortality was unusual in that some adult birds were replacing their primaries.

Temporal variation in atmospheric ammonia concentrations above seabird colonies

Recent studies have shown that seabirds are an important source of ammonia (NH 3) emissions in remote coastal ecosystems. Nesting behaviour, which varies between seabird species, is likely to be a major factor in determining the proportion of excreted nitrogen (N) volatilised to the atmosphere as NH 3. A long-term NH 3 monitoring programme was implemented at a Scottish seabird colony with a range of species and associated nesting behaviours. The average monthly NH 3 concentration was measured at 12 locations over a 14-month period, to infer spatial (i.e. species-specific) and temporal (seasonal) changes in NH 3 emissions from different seabird species. An emissions model of seabird NH 3, based on species-specific bioenergetics and behaviour, was applied to produce spatial estimates for input to a dispersion model. Atmospheric NH 3 concentrations demonstrated spatial variability as a result of differing local populations of breeding seabirds, with the highest concentrations measured above cliff nesting species such as Common guillemot Uria aalge, Razorbill Alca torda and Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla. NH 3 concentrations above a colony of burrow nesting Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica were low, considering the high number of birds. Emission of NH 3 from excreted N exhibits a time lag of approximately a month. It is likely that all excreted N is lost from the colony by volatilisation as NH 3 or surface run-off between breeding seasons. Modelled NH 3 emissions and concentrations correlated with measured concentrations, but were much higher, reflecting uncertainties in the local turbulent characteristics. The results allow multi-species seabird population data to be used for the calculation of regional and global NH 3 emission inventories, whilst improving understanding of N budgets of remote coastal ecosystems.

Alcids in North American zoos and aquaria

Members of the Alcidae are comparatively rare in zoos and aquaria and only a few species have reproduced in captivity. This report summarizes the status in 1993 of alcids in 14 North American institutions. their housing, care and breeding. Brief notes on the conservation of wild populations, in particular the reintroduction of the Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica to islands in the Gulf of Maine are included.

Megafauna bycatch in drift nets for albacore tuna ( Thunnus alalunga) in the NE Atlantic

In this study, results from an observer programme on a drift net fishery in the eastern North Atlantic are presented. Observers recorded all fish, marine mammals, seabirds and turtles caught and discarded and coverage ranged from 47.8% of the fleet ( n = 7 vessels) in 1996, to 2.2% ( n = 21 vessels) in 1998. A minimum of seven fish species were caught and landed during the fishing period; albacore tuna ( Thunnus alalunga) comprised approximately 99% of the total landings (by number) in both years. Eleven fish species were discarded, of which blue shark ( Prionace glauca) was the most frequently recorded representing 68% of all fish discarded by number. At least four species of seabird (Northern Gannet Morus basanus, Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus, Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica) and two species of turtle, including the leatherback turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea), were also entangled. Eight species of Cetacea were recorded as bycatch during these fishing operations, including common dolphins Delphinus delphis and striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba. Length–frequency distributions for both these dolphin species suggest that age segregation occurs. Using landings of albacore tuna as an indicator of effort, the extrapolated decadal scale data from Irish and other driftnet fleets operating in this area suggest that during the period 1990–2000, a minimum (95% confidence intervals) of 778,452 (622,520–934,384) blue sharks were caught, with a substantial proportion discarded. An estimated 24,358 dolphins were killed during these years by these fleets, of which 11,723 (7670–15,776) were common dolphins and 12,635 (10,009–15,261) were striped dolphins. Although this type of fishing was effective at catching the target species, it removed a large biomass of megafauna and likely accelerated the decline of blue sharks in this area.

Seabird numbers and prey consumption in the North Atlantic

Abstract We compared seasonal composition, abundance, and biomass of seabirds between the Northeast (ICES region) and Northwest (NAFO region) Atlantic fisheries regions to identify differences in community assemblage and prey consumption. Seabirds were more abundant in the Northwest Atlantic, but biomass was greater in the Northeast. This disparity resulted from enormous numbers of little auks Alle alle breeding in West Greenland and of Leach's storm-petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa breeding in Newfoundland, plus large numbers of non-breeding shearwaters Puffinus spp. entering southern NAFO areas in summer. The Northeast Atlantic communities were dominated numerically by northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis, large auks Uria spp., and the Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica. Seabirds occupying the North Atlantic consume approximately 11 × 106 t of food annually. Overall consumption rates peak during summer as a result of increased breeding activity and seasonal movements of birds into the North Atlantic. Because of the greater biomass of birds in the northeast, consumption (mainly by piscivores) in ICES areas was approximately 20% higher than that in NAFO areas, where planktivores dominate. NAFO areas had, however, a much greater consumption rate per unit area than ICES areas. Comparative studies such as these could prove informative in assessing large predator responses to the influence of fishing and ocean-scale climate change.

Adult Survival Estimates From Two Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula Arctica) Colonies in The Gulf of Maine

Abstract We report survival probabilities for 148 breeding adult Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) monitored through capture-mark-resight at two colonies for 11 years (1992–2003). The colonies, Eastern Egg Rock and Seal Island, are ∼42 km apart in the Gulf of Maine. Support for competing models in the program MARK suggests constant survival of 0.95 ± 0.01 (SE) that is independent of colony. Our high survival probability is consistent with published estimates for Atlantic Puffins and other long-lived seabirds. No time-variance contrasts with many long-term seabird studies, which often report high survival in most years, broken occasionally by low-survival events. However, a post-hoc observation of survival estimates from the time-dependent model suggests that there may have been at least two low-survival events in our time-series; sparse data may have precluded detection by our models. In this study, each bird received an individually engraved, plastic, field-readable leg band, as well as the standard metal band. Using an index of band readability, we show that plastic bands wore rapidly, resulting in accumulating losses of engraved characters through time. Degradation and loss of marks is a common source of overdispersion in capture-mark-re-encounter data and results in underestimated sampling variances. In the presence of a 70% reduction in band readability over eight years, an estimate of the adjusted overdispersion factor (ĉ = 1.14) identified very little overdispersion in our data. Overdispersion was avoided by double banding and intensively resighting metal bands. Estimation de la Survie Adulte de Deux Colonies de Fratercula arctica dans le Golfe du Maine

Effect of wintering area and climate on the survival of adult Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica in the eastern Atlantic

Despite contrasting population trends ranging from -3 to +11% per annum, the annual survival rates of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica in the 5 colonies spanning the species range in the east Atlantic were virtually identical over a 10 to 15 yr period, giving no support to the hypothesis that variation in population growth rates is driven by adult survival. The extent to which survival varied among years differed markedly between colonies. Similarities between colonies in the patterns of inter-annual variation in survival did not reflect similarities in wintering areas, as indicated by recov- eries of ringed birds, nor the geographic proximity of the colonies. However, survival in 4 of the 5 colonies correlated with sea surface temperatures around each colony 2 yr earlier. The relationship between survival and sea temperature was positively correlated with the effects of sea temperature on recruitment of the Atlantic puffin's main prey species, the lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus, the herring Clupea harengus and the capelin Mallotus villosus.

Prefledging mass recession and timing of fledging in Rhinoceros Auklets Cerorhinca monocerata

. First, by provisioning older orheavier chicks, the parental gain in fitness through increasedpost-fledging survival of chicks may be smaller than ifthey provisioned younger or lighter chicks. Parents shouldtherefore induce older or heavier chicks to fledge. Secondly,older or heavier chicks are less likely to remain in theirnests during mass recession because their survival pros-pects should be greater away from the nest than theyshould be for younger or lighter chicks.Parental regulation of provisioning according to the ageand growth of the chick is the key assumption of thesehypotheses. However, parental responses to chick age ormass have varied among experiments carried out onAtlantic Puffins

Regime shifts in the breeding of an Atlantic puffin population

AbstractTiming of breeding is a key factor determining the reproductive success in bird populations and known to be affected by climate fluctuations. We investigated the long‐term (1978–2002) relationship between climate and hatching date within a population of Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica at Røst in the Norwegian Sea. The timing of puffin breeding was found to be influenced by the North Atlantic Oscillation winter index (NAO). We isolated two temporal regimes, one where NAO had a significant effect on hatching date (1978–1986 and 1995–2002) and one where these variables were independent (1987–1994). Hatching date could be modelled using, in addition to NAO, hatching date and food abundance in the preceding breeding season (possibly proxies of parental effort). The models remained significant for regime 1 but not for regime 2. NAO differed between the two regimes suggesting that the shifts were induced by climate change, possibly via its effect on the availability of prey in the preceding year. The novelty of our study is the identification of temporal regimes in the effects of climate within one population.

Evidence for decrease in size of lesser sandeels Ammodytes marinus in a North Sea aggregation over a 30-yr period

Long-term changes in size of the lesser sandeels Ammodytes marinus in the Wee Bankie aggregation in the northwest part of the North Sea were investigated using individuals collected from Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica feeding chicks. Between 1973 and 2002, the average size, on a given date, of fish hatched that year (0-group) declined by 11.1 mm. Over the same period, older (predominantly 1-group) sandeels showed an overall reduction in size on a given date, of 19.4 mm fish -1 . In both cases the change in length corresponded to a 40% decline in energy content. These long-term trends in size-at-age are likely to have had major demographic consequences for this aggregation in terms of delayed sexual maturity and lower age-specific fecundity. While there was no evidence that the decrease was associated with the start of an industrial sandeel fishery in the area in 1990, the observed decline in size-at-age could potentially make this aggregation more vulnerable to collapse because of its reduced capacity to produce eggs. We tentatively suggest that changing environmental conditions from the early 1980s onwards, acting through effects on early growth and/or hatch date, may have contributed to the long-term decline in size of 0-group sandeels in this area. More data are needed to elucidate the reasons for the decline in the size of older sandeels.

Indirect estimates of wing-propulsion forces in horizontally diving Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arcticaL.)

Instantaneous force production in wing-propelled diving Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) was investigated using four birds for which instantaneous estimates of velocity and acceleration of the body were made. The quasi-steady resultant force acting on the body in the sagittal plane was calculated using acceleration reaction coefficients, buoyancy estimates, and drag coefficients taken from the literature and calculated, using two different methods, from a video sequence of a puffin gliding (CDw= 0.021 and 0.026, respectively). The forces calculated from the motion of the body coincide well with the wing-beat cycle, with a forward- and upward-directed force produced by the wings during the downstroke and a forward- and downward-directed force produced during the upstroke. The result suggests that a thrust force may also be produced during at least the lower-stroke reversal. This means either that there may exist some undescribed propulsive mechanism, possibly caused by an interaction of the wings beneath the body, or that the body drag coefficient may be overestimated. However, the body drag coefficient calculated in the study is close to the coefficients measured on dead birds. Furthermore, I conclude that the high reduced frequency (average 0.82) suggests a non-steady-state hydrodynamic mechanism of wing-propelled diving in puffins.

Colony Attendance and Individual Turnover of Atlantic Puffins in Newfoundland

Abstract Colony attendance by the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) was examined to investigate daily and seasonal patterns of variation, and to determine the biological or environmental factors, if any, which serve as useful predictors of such variation. Observations were made during the pre-laying and incubation stages of the breeding season on a study plot at a colony on Gull Island, Witless Bay Seabird Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland, Canada. The number of birds on the surface of the colony increased through the day, but the peak number differed between consecutive days. Colony attendance showed a possible cyclical trend across days with a periodicity ranging from two to six days. Residency time of individual birds was associated with the extent of colony attendance, suggesting a positive feedback loop between individual short-term turnover and numbers present on the breeding slope. Neither weather nor presence of large gulls was related to puffin attendance. The correlation between residency time...

Using multiple abundance estimators to infer population trends in Atlantic Puffins

We used five techniques to estimate the number of Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) using a study plot on Gull Island, Newfoundland, during the 2000 breeding season. Grubbing of burrows yielded an estimate of a breeding population of 522 (95% CI: 364–668) Atlantic Puffins on this plot. Attendance counts of birds standing on the plot consistently underestimated the breeding population. A closed-population estimator with sighting heterogeneity estimated that of the 535 Atlantic Puffins banded since 1997, 370 (336–404) used the plot in 2000. Using 370 birds as the marked population, a corrected Lincoln–Petersen index estimated a total population of 1712 (1233–2191) based on captured birds. Based on resights of birds, ratios of banded birds to total attendance estimated 2927 (2608–3335), and the Bowden estimator gave 3502 (3054–3950) Atlantic puffins. We projected an age-based matrix using literature values, and extracted the proportions of nonbreeding birds and young birds expected at a stable age distribution and compared the proportions with observed values. Based on the large number of nonbreeders suggested by the abundance estimates, we suspect that this population (i) is stable or increasing, (ii) includes breeding-age Atlantic Puffins that do not breed, and (iii) has been enjoying high fecundity in recent years.

Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica and common guillemot Uria aalge chick diet and growth as indicators of fish stocks in the Barents Sea

Between 1980 and 2000, Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica and common guillemots Uria aalge breeding in the southern Barents Sea fed their chicks on varying proportions of 4 main cate- gories of prey: capelin Mallotus villosus, sandeels Ammodytes sp., I-group herring Clupea harengus and 0-group cod Gadus morhua. The varying proportions in both numbers and masses of the capelin, herring and cod in the seabird diet showed clear responses to the independently measured prey stocks. Amounts of capelin, herring and 0-group cod fed to Atlantic puffin chicks were good indica- tors of fish availability, whereas only amounts of herring fed to common guillemot chicks were corre- lated with the biomass of I-group herring in the region. The more general response by the Atlantic puffins probably results from their ability to catch only small fishes. Despite large interannual differ- ences in prey consumption plus gradual changes in meal sizes, the growth rates of the chicks of both species remained near their maximum, suggesting physiological restraints in growth during plentiful years and/or compensatory foraging behaviour by the adults.

A new pressure sensory mechanism for prey detection in birds: the use of principles of seabed dynamics?

We demonstrate a novel mechanism for prey detection in birds. Red knots (Calidris canutus), sandpipers that occur worldwide in coastal intertidal areas, are able to detect their favourite hard-shelled prey even when buried in sand beyond the reach of their bills. In operant conditioning experiments designed to find out whether the birds could tell buckets containing only wet sand from buckets containing hard objects in wet sand, we show that they detect the presence not only of deeply buried live bivalves but also of stones. The latter finding virtually excludes, under experimental conditions, prey-detection mechanisms based on vision, acoustics, smell, taste, vibrational signals emitted by prey, temperature gradients and electromagnetic fields. A failure to discriminate between food and non-food trays with dry sand indicates that pore water is involved. Based on the presence of large arrays of Herbst corpuscles (sensory organs that can measure the acceleration due to changes in pressure), the specifics of foraging technique and the characteristics of sediments on which red knots feed, we deduce that the sensory mechanism involves the perception of pressure gradients that are formed when bills probe in soft sediments in which inanimate objects block pore water flow. To our knowledge, this mechanism has not been described before. It is argued that repeated probing in soft, wet sediments allows red knots to induce a residual pressure build-up of sufficient strength to detect the pressure disturbance caused by a nearby object. The cyclic process of shaking loosely packed sand grains followed by gravitational settling into a closer packing, leads, owing to insufficient drainage of the sediment, to a locally increased pressure disturbance that is 'pumped up' at each shake.

Effects of investigator disturbance on breeding success of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica

Reliable data on the breeding success of Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica are difficult to obtain because they readily desert their eggs when disturbed. Previous studies on puffins in Britain developed a visiting regime to study sites that caused no reduction in breeding success compared to undisturbed controls. However, reduced success following application of similar methods in other areas suggested that the response of puffins to disturbance may vary geographically and perhaps temporally. We designed a study to test whether that visiting regime reduced breeding success on Great Island, Newfoundland, in 1992. We monitored success in 1993 and 1994 to determine if the effects of our disturbance in 1992 persisted through subsequent breeding seasons. Chick productivity was reduced by 38% in disturbed study plots compared to control plots in 1992. Effects of disturbance persisted one year and were not apparent two years after the disturbance. We recommend that investigations of puffins be confined to the nestling period and that researchers include carefully designed controls to ensure that their study results are unbiased.

Chick Growth, Fledging Periods and Adult Mass Loss of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica during Years of Prolonged Food Stress

Chick Growth, Fledging Periods and Adult Mass Loss of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica during Years of Prolonged Food Stress