Fratercula Arctica Research Articles

Levels and temporal trends (1983–2003) of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg) in seabird eggs from Northern Norway

The main objective of this study was to investigate possible temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury in eggs of herring gulls (Larus argentatus), black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), common guillemots (Uria aalge) and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) in Northern Norway. Eggs were collected in 1983, 1993 and 2003. Egg concentrations of POPs (PCB congeners IUPAC numbers: CB-28, 74, 66, 101, 99, 110, 149, 118, 153, 105, 141, 138, 187, 128, 156, 157, 180, 170, 194, 206, HCB, alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, oxychlordane, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDT) and mercury were quantified. Generally, POP levels decreased between 1983 and 2003 in all species. No significant temporal trend in mercury levels was found between 1983 and 2003.

Fish brought to young Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica on Burhou, Channel Islands

During the last 100 years breeding numbers of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica (hereafter ‘Puffins’) in the Channel Islands and Brittany, the most southern colonies in the eastern Atlantic, have declined dramatically and in 2000 totalled less than 600 pairs (Harris & Wanless 2004). Most colonies now have trivial numbers and that on Burhou, Alderney, Channel Islands is one of only two remaining probably viable breeding populations south of the English Channel, and is therefore regionally of considerable conservation importance.

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.

Palaeoecology of Holocene peat deposits from Nordvestø, north-west Greenland

Two extensive peat deposits on Nordvesto, between Greenland and Canada, were examined for macroscopic remains of plants and animals. One of the peat deposits accumulated during the period from c. 7,100 to 5,100 cal. years BP. This peat is guanogenic and completely dominated by the coprophilous bryophyte Aplodon wormskioldii, and also contains frequent remains of feathers. The peat formed close to a large former sea bird colony, probably a puffin (Fratercula arctica) colony. Puffins are now rare in the region, but the population may have been larger during the mid Holocene, when the sea was ice-free for a longer period than at present. The other peat deposit is dated to c. 9,300–7,400 cal. years BP, it is minerogenic and the macrofossils reflect deposition in a shallow, richly vegetated pond. This peat formed during warmer summers than at present.

Seabirds Foraging at Floating Seaweeds in the Northeast Atlantic

The influence of floating seaweed patches on the distribution and behaviour of seabirds was investigated using the European Seabirds At Sea database (ESAS). The percentage of observations that seabirds were observed with floating seaweed differed among species, depending on the mode of foraging. The results indicate that surface feeding species that make shallow dives (terns and Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator) benefit most from the presence of floating seaweeds and their associated macro- and ichthyofauna. Species hunting for pelagic and bottom-dwelling prey (divers, Guillemots Uria aalge, Razorbills Alca torda, Puffins Fratercula arctica, Gannets Sula bassana and Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo), and especially benthos feeders (Common Scoters Melanitta nigra and Eiders Somateria mollissima) were frequently seen in association with floating seaweeds, while opportunists and scavengers like gulls and skuas were recorded on few occasions. Petrels and shearwaters (surface-seizing, pursuit-plunging, pursuit-diving) were seldomly seen in association with floating seaweeds. The most common behavioural activities of the birds associated with floating seaweed were found to be surface pecking, actively searching, and pursuit plunging.

ACTIVITY PERIODS AND QUESTING BEHAVIOR OF THE SEABIRD TICK IXODES URIAE (ACARI: IXODIDAE) ON GULL ISLAND, NEWFOUNDLAND: THE ROLE OF PUFFIN CHICKS

Questing behavior of Ixodes uriae and their associated seasonal, host-feeding patterns are crucial to our understanding of tick life history strategies and the ecology of diseases that they transmit. Consequently, we quantified questing behavior of nymphs and adult female I. uriae ticks at Gull Island, a seabird colony in Newfoundland, Canada, to examine seasonal variation of off-host and on-host tick activity. We sampled a total of 133 adult Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica), 152 puffin chicks, and 145 herring gull (Larus argentatus) chicks for ticks during the breeding seasons of 2004 and 2005. Questing ticks were sampled by dragging a white flannel cloth across the grassy breeding areas during the mo of May, June, July, and August. Nymph questing activity reached a peak during mid-July (79 and 110 individuals/hr in 2004 and 2005, respectively). The prevalence of nymphs and adult female ticks on different seabird hosts varied between years and during the seasons. Puffin chicks had the highest prevalence (above 70% in July) of nymphs in both years and this was correlated with questing activity. Female ticks rarely fed on puffin chicks, but were prevalent on adult puffins and gulls, although prevalence and questing of ticks were not correlated in these hosts. These patterns of off-host and on-host tick activity suggests that I. uriae ticks likely use a combination of questing and passive waiting, e.g., in puffin burrows, to detect hosts, depending on the tick stage and the host species.

Puffin harvesting and survival at Nólsoy, The Faeroes

At least 10,000 Puffins Fratercula arctica are taken annually at the Nólsoy colony by fowling. This figure probably exceeds the recruitment rate and may cause gradual decrease of the colony size. Continuous decline (since 1900) of the number of breeding birds as well as shrinking of the colony area suggest long-lasting overexploitation. The collapse of the local population is probably delayed only by immigration of immature Puffins from the large Icelandic population. We recovered 37 (20.1%) of 184 Puffin fledglings ringed in 1997 at Nólsoy colony. All rings originated from birds caught by fowlers operating on Nólsoy (34 birds) and on other Faeroe islands (3 birds). First Puffins were fowled at colony in 1999, 54% in 2000 (3 yrs old), and the last bird in 2003 as 6 yrs old. Puffins which had been harvested, i.e. those which survived at least 2 years, were on average larger and heavier at fledging than the rest of the ringed chicks. Most of them originated from early broods. Our data suggest that adult Puffins breeding earlier produce better quality offspring that survive in higher proportion.

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.

Invasive plant suppresses charismatic seabird – the construction of attitudes towards biodiversity management options

Public attitudes towards biodiversity issues and the value judgments underlying biodiversity management and conservation are still poorly understood. This has raised serious concerns regarding the effective use of public participation in biodiversity policy making. We conducted quantitative face-to-face interviews with members of the general public in southeast Scotland to assess attitudes towards biodiversity management and examine attitude formation. For this, we applied social psychological attitude–behaviour theories to a case study investigating biodiversity management options for an island ecosystem in which the abundance of a charismatic seabird, the Atlantic puffin ( Fratercula arctica) is compromised by the expansion of a tall invasive plant, tree mallow ( Lavatera arborea). We found that attitudes as expressed by members of the public are informed by both value- and knowledge-based elements. Our research provides clear support for the notion that, in a conservation context, value-based principles matter to the public. Out of a set of seven conservation-related values, ‘balance’ and ‘naturalness’ were important factors that related strongly to the respondents’ attitudes. These relationships were even stronger for individuals emotionally involved with the topic. Other value-based principles such as uniqueness, autochthony and endangeredness of the species involved appeared to be of lesser relevance. The findings provide evidence that attitudes can be considered as distinct constructs that offer valuable and meaningful information to biodiversity policymakers and managers, and allow empirical insights into the way value judgments influence biodiversity management and conservation.

Acetylcholinesterase activity in seabirds affected by the Prestige oil spill on the Galician coast (NW Spain)

In November 2002, the tanker Prestige broke in two and sank at the bottom of the ocean spilling about 70,000 t of fuel oil, which reached the coast of Galicia. It was considered the largest spill in maritime history, greatly affecting marine and related avian species. The spilled fuel oil contained high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many species were affected and were found dead, although ongoing research is still being carried out on the sublethal effects. In this sense, little is known about the action of PAHs on Cholinesterase activity in seabirds. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to provide more information on the neurotoxicity of fuel oil on the seabirds most affected by the Prestige accident: common guillemot, Atlantic puffin and razorbill. On the other hand, data on normal values of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were obtained to supply non-exposed values in seabirds. The oil spill produced a clear inhibitory effect on brain AChE activity in common guillemot (16%, p< or =0.01) and razorbill (22%, p< or =0.01), but not in Atlantic puffin (4%). Physiological levels of brain AChE, expressed in nmol acetylcholine hydrolysed min(-1) mg(-1) protein were similar in non-exposed common guillemot (388.6+/-95.0) and Atlantic puffin (474.0+/-60.7), however, razorbill values were higher (644.6+/-66.9).

Ocean climate prior to breeding affects the duration of the nestling period in the Atlantic puffin

Time-series covering 23 years for a long-lived seabird, the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica L.) at Røst, northern Norway, was used to explore any indirect effects of climatic variations on chick production. By fitting statistical models on the duration of the nestling period, we found that it may be estimated using the average sea temperature and salinity at 0-20 m depth in March (having a positive and a negative effect, respectively). We propose that when the phytoplankton bloom occurs in early spring, adverse oceanographic conditions, i.e. low temperature and high salinity in March, have a negative effect on puffin reproduction by degradation of the prey availability (mainly Clupea harengus) for chick-feeding adults three months later.

Surface wear of incoloy and darvic bands on Atlantic Puffin adults and chicks

ABSTRACT Bands are a common marking method in bird studies and capture-mark-reencounter (CMR) models are often used to analyze banding data. Common to this family of models are two assumptions: marks do not fall off or become unreadable and individuals within groups remain equally detectable. When data fail to meet these assumptions, results of CMR analyses may be biased. In studies of long-lived seabirds exposed to coarse nesting substrates, band wear is especially problematic. We compared surface wear from abrasion against rocks on incoloy and darvic bands applied to a long-lived seabird, the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica). In 2003 and 2004, surface wear on bands applied to chicks and adults was scored at five colonies in the Gulf of Maine. We used logistic regression to analyze two subsets of these data by fitting the probability of being worn (one or more characters difficult to read or obliterated) to band age, bird age, and band type. In both analyses, an evidence ratio provided exclusive support for the model that included all factors. Immature puffins largely avoid colonies and remain at sea until their second or third summer after hatching. Consequently, probabilities of being worn were delayed on both band types by 4 yr on bands applied to chicks compared to adults. Based on our estimates, 25% and 87% of darvic bands applied to chicks and adults, respectively, were worn after 5 yr. Wear was reduced by 71% and 87% annually on incoloy compared to darvic bands applied to adults and chicks, respectively. To uphold assumptions of CMR models, we recommend incoloy bands over darvic in studies spanning more than about 5 yr of long-lived seabirds exposed to coarse substrates. Las anillas colocadas en las patas son un método común de marcar aves y se han establecido modelos (recuento de aves marcadas – siglas en inglés CMR) para analizar los datos obtenidos de esta forma. Hay dos postulados que deben aceptarse en estos modelos: que las anillas no se pierden o que se puedan leer y que los individuos marcados y no-marcados tienen la misma probabilidad de ser contados. Cuando los datos no cumplen con las dos condiciones previamente mencionadas el análisis de CMR puede contener sesgo. En estudios de ave marinas que viven por mucho tiempo, el desgaste de las anillas crea problemas. Comparamos el desgaste y daño de anillas de metal (niquel-cromio y acero) y anillas de plástico (policloruro de vinilo) colocadas en individuos de Fratercula arctica. Durante el 2003 y 2004, estudiamos el desgaste y daño de anillas colocadas a pichones y adultos del ave en cinco colonias de estas en el Golfo de Maine. Utilizamos una regresión logística para analizar dos conjuntos de datos sobre la probabilidad de desgaste (uno o más caracteres en la anilla difíciles de leer) a la edad de la anilla (tiempo en la pata del ave), edad del ave y tipo de anilla. Las aves inmaduras, evitan los grupos en las colonias y permanecen en el mar hasta el segundo o tercer verano. Como resultado, la probabilidad de que ambos tipos de anillas hubieran estado desgastadas o dañadas en los juveniles se dilato por unos cuatro años, al ser este grupo comparado con los adultos. El 25% y el 87% de las anillas plásticas colocadas en pichones y adultos, respectivamente, estaban desgastadas a los cinco años. El desgaste en las anillas de metal se redujo en un 71% y 87% anual al compararse con las plásticas colocadas en adultos y pichones, respectivamente. Para cumplir con los postulados de los modelos CMR, recomendamos el uso de anillas de metal en aquellos estudios pautados para más de cinco años particularmente en aves marinas que utilizan o se exponen a sustratos duros.

ENCOUNTER, SURVIVAL, AND MOVEMENT PROBABILITIES FROM AN ATLANTIC PUFFIN (FRATERCULA ARCTICA) METAPOPULATION

Several weaknesses in our understanding of long-lived animal populations have persisted, mainly due to a prevalence of studies of a single local population at the expense of multisite studies. We performed a multisite capture–mark–resight analysis using 2050 Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) banded as chicks on four islands (colonies) over 24 years in the Gulf of Maine, USA and Canada. Within program MARK, encounter, apparent survival, pre-breeding movement (PBM; annual movements between colonies prior to breeding), and natal dispersal (ND) probabilities were modeled as functions of age, colony, and several covariates. Information-theoretic model selection criteria and estimated model effect sizes were used to identify important effects and select models to estimate parameters. Encounter probabilities were extremely variable (0.10–0.95) and declined annually starting six years after bands were applied, due to changes in resighting effort, and band wear, respectively. Colony-dependent survival probabil...

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.

Population structure, distribution patterns and precopulatory mate-guarding in the feather mite Alloptes Canestrini, 1879 (Acari: Analgoidea: Alloptidae) on auks (Charadriiformes: Alcidae) at the Gannet Islands, Labrador, Canada

Feather mites are ubiquitous avian ectoparasites whose population structure is expected to vary with degree of coloniality and other aspects of host bird species' ecology. We investigated aggregation . and infrapopulation structure of feather mites of the genus Alloptes Canestrini on four auk species (with different levels of nesting aggregations) breeding at the Gannet Islands, Labrador, Canada. Feather mite populations were more prevalent and had higher relative abundance in Razorbills, Alca torda Linnaeus, and Atlantic Puffins, Fratercula arctica Linnaeus, compared to murres (Uria spp.). Prevalence increased moving from highly aggregated ledge-nesting hosts (53% in murres) to less aggregated, burrow-nesting hosts (87% in puffins), with similar trends in relative abundance. Prevalence and relative abundance of individual age-classes of feather mites varied among host species without any clear relationship to host coloniality. Infrapopulations were strongly female-biased (4–36% males), with a largeproportion of tritonymphs and adult females. Precopulatory mate guarding was observed in all sevencases of coupled individuals, each involving an adult male and a female tritonymph. This study constitutes the first record of precopulatory mate guarding in the genus Alloptes, a male strategy to ensure insemination of adult females as soon as they molt. Female-biased sex ratios may be produced in order to reduce local mate competition among male feather mites. Our study revealed several nonintuitive patterns of mite population structure, underlining the need for more detailed work on these ecologically important but poorly known species.

The effect of climate on adult survival in five species of North Atlantic seabirds

Summary 1 In long-lived species, adult survival is an important life-history trait. Better knowledge of the effects of non-catastrophic climate variation on the adult survival of long-lived seabirds is therefore needed. However, documentation of such effects is still rare. 2 Using capture–mark–resighting data, we modelled the annual survival rates of five species of seabirds, the common guillemot (Uria aalge), Brunnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia), razorbill (Alca torda), Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) and black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). The data spanned 14 years of observation at a colony on Hornoya, off Northern Norway in the western Barents Sea. 3 A method of taking into account ring-loss of marked individuals is proposed. This approach made it possible to keep many observations which otherwise would have to be discarded. 4 The estimated survival rates were higher and less variable than most estimates for the same species from other colonies. There was extensive resighting heterogeneity. Ignoring this effect would have underestimated breeding life span by more than 50% in some species. 5 The analysis presented is the first study to document a correlation between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and adult survival in North Atlantic seabirds. Other environmental variables considered were sea surface temperatures (SST) and prey stocks. In most of the species, models incorporating climatological variables were considerably better supported than models with constant survival, time-dependent survival or prey effects. SSTs tended to explain more of the variability in seabird survival than did the NAO. 6 The importance of prey availability was evident in some of the species, but climate was generally a better predictor of survival. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that meteorological parameters affect seabird mortality only indirectly, possibly through the food chain. This conclusion rests on the observations that most NAO effects are lagged, and that survival rates decreased with increasing SSTs.

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

AbstractWe 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

Heavy metal and arsenic content in seabirds affected by the Prestige oil spill on the Galician coast (NW Spain)

Seabirds are top consumers in marine foodchains which offer opportunities to detect and assess the toxicological effects of different inorganic elements on the marine ecosystem. In order to provide baseline data concerning trace element levels in seabird species from NW Spain, zinc, copper, arsenic, chromium, lead, cadmium and mercury concentrations were analyzed in liver of three different seabird species (common guillemot, Atlantic puffin and razorbill) affected by the Prestige oil spill in September 2002 on the Galician coast. In general, with the exception of mercury, levels of all the analyzed elements were similar or lower in comparison with those reported for the same species in other Atlantic areas, and did not exceed levels indicative of increased environmental exposure.

PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES IN MARINE BIRDS AFFECTED BY THE PRESTIGE'S OIL SPILL IN THE NORTH OF SPAIN

A total of 2,465 seabirds, mainly common murres (Uria aalge), razorbills (Alca torda), and puffins (Fratercula arctica) that beached in the northwestern part of Spain after the "Prestige" oil spill on 19 November 2002 were examined by pathological methods. Birds were divided into three groups: dead birds with the body covered (group 1) or uncovered (group 2) by oil and birds recovered alive but which died after being treated at a rescue center (group 3). The main gross lesions were severe dehydration and emaciation. Microscopically, hemosiderin deposits, related to cachexia and/or hemolytic anemia, were observed in those birds harboring oil in the intestine. Severe aspergillosis and ulcers in the ventriculus were found only in group 3 birds, probably because of stress associated with attempted rehabilitation at the rescue center. The mild character of the pathological changes suggests that petroleum oil toxicosis causes multiple sublethal changes that have an effect on the ability of the birds to survive at sea, especially weak and young, inexperienced animals. Dehydration and exhaustion seem to be the most likely cause of death.

Assessment of 17 new whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea) microsatellite loci in 42 seabirds identifies 5–15 polymorphic markers for each of nine Alcinae species

AbstractWe isolated 17 microsatellite loci in the whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea) and tested them for amplification in 48 species from 13 seabird families (including 42 seabirds). Fifteen of these loci were also tested for polymorphism in 38 of the species, which included nine species of Alcinae (four auklets, Atlantic puffin, dovekie, razorbill and two murre species). On the average, nine loci were polymorphic per Alcinae species.