Blue-footed Booby Sula Nebouxii Research Articles

Mate selection based on labile traits affects short-term fitness in a long-lived seabird.

In long-lived monogamous social species, partner compatibility can play a crucial role in reproductive success. We evaluated assortative mating based on body condition (plasma triglyceride concentration), diet (δ15N), and foraging habitat (δ13C) in the blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii, a long-lived monogamous seabird. We investigated the effects of assortative mating (sum of triglycerides in a pair) and asymmetry within pairs (residuals from regression of female-male triglycerides) on reproductive performance and offspring growth (alkaline phosphatase, ALP). We found that strong assortative mating determined by body condition and diet seemed to be related to a signalling mechanism (nutritional state). This mating pattern had a substantial effect on the breeding parameters and influenced offspring ALP. Within-pair asymmetry did not influence any reproductive parameters, but the ALP of offspring was related to the within-pair relative female condition. Overall, our results indicate that individuals seek the best possible match to maximize their breeding investment and/or individuals are limited in their mate options by their current body condition, which has consequences for offspring fitness in the short term. Our findings show that assortative mating based on body condition produces notable variation in the joint condition of the pair, which determines their breeding success.

High quality diet improves lipid metabolic profile and breeding performance in the blue-footed booby, a long-lived seabird.

Understanding the role of diet in the physiological condition of adults during reproduction and hence its effect on reproductive performance is fundamental to understand reproductive strategies in long-lived animals. In birds, little is known about the influence of the quality of food consumed at the beginning of the reproductive period and its short-term effects on reproductive performance. To assess the role of diet in the physiological condition of female blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii (BFBO), during reproduction we evaluated whether individual differences in diet (assessed by using δ13C and δ15N values of whole blood from female birds and muscle tissue of the principal prey species) prior to egg laying and during incubation influenced their lipid metabolic profile (measured as triglyceride levels and C:N ratio) and their reproductive performance (defined by laying date, clutch size and hatching success). Females with higher δ15N values in their blood during the courtship and incubation periods had a higher lipid metabolic profile, earlier laying date, greater clutch size (2–3 eggs) and higher hatching success. Females that laid earlier and more eggs (2–3 eggs) consumed more Pacific anchoveta (Cetengraulis mysticetus) and Pacific thread herring (Opisthonema libertate) than did other females. These two prey species also had high amounts of lipids (C:N ratio) and caloric content (Kcal/g fresh weight). The quality of food consumed by females at the beginning of reproduction affected their physiological condition, as well as their short-term reproductive performance. Our work emphasizes the importance of determining the influence of food quality during reproduction to understand the reproductive decisions and consequences in long-lived animals.

Recruiting age influences male and female survival and population persistence in a long-lived tropical seabird

Variation in the age at first reproduction may have important implications for growth and dynamics of populations, but these potential impacts remain virtually unexplored. By using 26 years of data from a marked colony of blue-footed boobies Sula nebouxii (Milne-Edwards), we tested whether survival of early recruits is lower in comparison to late recruits, and investigate how different recruiting ages contribute to the persistence of the population. In addition, we simulated changes in the age at recruitment and estimated their impact on population fitness. Our analyses of 1310 capture–recapture histories revealed that the younger males and females initiated reproduction within the first 6 years of life, the lower were their mean annual survival probabilities. Survival did not differ between the sexes and the impact of recruiting age on survival was similar for males and females. Each additional year that male and female boobies delayed the start of reproduction meant an increase of roughly 2 % in their annual survival rates. Male and female recruits 2–5 years old contributed the same to the rate of population growth (λ) regardless of their particular age, but the contribution to population growth started to decline from age 6 years. According to our simulations, delaying reproduction beyond 5 years in the case of females, and beyond 6 years in the case of males, would negatively affect this booby population. Therefore, we suggest that there is selection against recruiting beyond 5–6 years old. This study adds to the nascent empirical literature on long-term fitness consequences of variation in the age at first reproduction in long-lived species, and provides insights into evolution of early and late reproduction and trade-offs from a demographic perspective.

Comparative Ectoparasite Loads of Five Seabird Species in the Galapagos Islands

In this paper we describe the ectoparasitic lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) found on 5 species of seabirds (magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens; great frigatebird Fregata minor ; Nazca booby Sula granti ; blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii ; and red-footed booby Sula sula ) on the Galapagos Archipelago. We found 9 species of ectoparasitic lice: 5 species of Pectinopygus ischnocerans, 1 infesting each host; 2 species of Colpocephalum amblyceran lice, 1 on each frigatebird species; and 2 shared amblycerans, Eidmanniella albescens (Piaget, 1880) found on Nazca and blue-footed boobies and Fregatiella aurifasciata (Kellogg, 1899) found on the 2 frigatebirds. We tested the relative importance and interactions of host sex, body size, host, island, host family, and breeding status and found that inter-island differences were the main predictors of prevalence and infestation intensity. These differences could be related to host density or weather, but further evidence is needed.

Effect of El Niño on the diet of a specialist seabird, Sula nebouxii, in the warm eastern tropical Pacific

Reductions in the availability of energetically valuable prey associated with the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may force seabirds to switch to low-energy prey or smaller prey, with consequent effects on their fitness. Impacts of ENSO on seabird diet have been docu- mented in several regions but remain unexplored in the warm eastern tropical Pacific. Analysis of 5 yr of data on the blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii, a seabird specialized on small pelagic fish, revealed that both sexes switch diet and capture fewer types of prey when warm El Nino condi- tions prevail during the breeding season. Moreover, ENSO-related alternations in the relative abundances of anchovies and herrings, the main prey of these boobies and important commercial fishes in the region, were associated with boobies feeding on more and larger anchovies and fewer and smaller herrings during warm El Nino events, and vice versa during cold La Nina episodes. Females consumed herrings more frequently than males across the 5 yr and consistently fed on larger anchovies and herrings than males, with these differences likely due to this booby's reversed sexual size-dimorphism. We conclude that diet composition and prey size of boobies may be sensitive to variation in relative availabilities of different prey species associated with the ENSO, making these birds robust indicators of environmental fluctuations in the warm eastern tropical Pacific. Inter-annual variations in the availability of herrings, probably the most energet- ically valuable prey for these boobies, may explain the large ENSO-related variations in booby reproduction documented previously.

El Niño in the Warm Tropics: local sea temperature predicts breeding parameters and growth of blue-footed boobies

1. There is increasing interest in the impacts of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on reproduction of apical predators such as seabirds and marine mammals. Long-term studies documenting ENSO effects on reproduction of seabirds in the warm tropics are scarce, and differential sensitivity of breeding parameters to ENSO has rarely been explored. 2. Analysis of 18 years of breeding data from a colony of the blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii (Milne-Edwards) showed a delay in onset of breeding when the global Southern Oscillation Index was negative; each unit of the atmospheric pressure differential (hPa) across the Pacific Ocean meant a delay of 7 days. 3. ENSO conditions also produced declines in breeding participation, clutch size, brood size, hatching success and fledging success, especially when surface waters surrounding the colony were warmer during winter and spring. Each additional degree (°C) of water temperature produced a reduction of 0.45 fledglings per nest. Different breeding parameters were sensitive to ENSO indices in different blocks of months. 4. Warming of local waters during the winter was associated with decline in ocean productivity in the current year and the following year, consistent with ENSO impacts on breeding parameters being mediated by effects on local productivity and prey availability. However, there was no evidence of lagged effects of ENSO on any breeding parameter. 5. Comparison of 5 years revealed that when local surface waters were warm, chicks grew more slowly, but no effects of ENSO on weight and size of eggs were evident in data of 9 and 7 years, respectively. 6. Our findings extend evidence of impacts of ENSO on seabird reproduction to the eastern tropical Pacific and indicate that several breeding parameters of blue-footed boobies (but not egg size) are affected in the short term by ENSO conditions, particularly by local anomalies in sea surface temperature associated with decline in ocean productivity.

Senescent males carry premutagenic lesions in sperm

As organisms age, DNA of somatic cells deteriorates, but it is believed that germ cells are protected from DNA-damaging agents. In recent years, this vision has been challenged by studies on humans indicating that genomic instability in germ cells increases with age. However, nothing is known about germ line senescence in wild animals. Here, we examine DNA damage in sperm of a wild vertebrate, the blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii. One of the major types of premutagenic DNA damage generated by oxidative stress (a proximal cause of ageing) is loss of single bases resulting in apurinic/apyrimidinic sites (AP sites). We examined AP sites in the sperm of known-age males sampled during courtship on Isla Isabel, Mexico. We show that damage to the DNA of sperm increases with age of male blue-footed boobies. Moreover, we found that sexual attractiveness (foot colour) declines with age and is correlated with germ line damage of senescent males. By choosing attractive males, females might reduce the probability of their progeny bearing damaged DNA. This study reports the first evidence of senescence in the germ line of a wild vertebrate and future studies should investigate whether this burden of senescence is sidestepped by potential sexual partners.

Foraging areas of breeding blue‐footed boobies Sula nebouxii in northern Peru, as determined by direction recorders

The association between the distribution of blue‐footed boobies Sula nebouxii (BFB) and marine productivity around their breeding grounds is unclear. In Peru, they breed in a region seasonally influenced by the cold, nutrient rich Humboldt Current, and by warm, nutrient poor oceanic waters. The foraging range of BFB in Peru is unknown, although some evidence suggest that they may feed in warm offshore waters. During the austral winter 2002 and summer 2003, we tracked 26 BFBs breeding on Isla Lobos de Tierra, Peru (located approximately 15 km west of the mainland), during 59 feeding trips using small direction recorders to determine their marine habitat use. BFBs preferentially moved to the east of the island and foraged over the continental shelf in cold water masses where marine productivity and the abundance of the main prey, the Peruvian anchovy Engraulis ringens, are usually higher than in other areas. Overall, the median maximum foraging distance from the colony was 39 km (range 3–109 km), with 90% of all trips located within 30 km from the mainland, and enclosed in an area of 13,113 km2. These results reveal that BFBs exploit the productive waters of the Peruvian Coastal Upwelling System, rather than open oceanic waters as previously suggested. BFBs travelled a greater distance, dispersed in a broader area, and visited more offshore waters during the winter 2002, than during the summer 2003, following the typical seasonal horizontal dispersion of the Peruvian anchovy.

Do mothers regulate facultative and obligate siblicide by differentially provisioning eggs with hormones?

We examined androgens in clutches of two booby species that differ in their sibling conflict. Blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii chicks show an aggression-submission relationship, aggression is normally moderate and siblicide is facultative. Brown booby Sula leucogaster chicks show an aggression-aggression relationship, aggression of both chicks can be relentless and siblicide is obligate. The parental favoritism hypothesis predicts that egg mass, yolk mass and yolk androgens should decline with laying order less in the blue-footed booby than in the brown booby, to promote the survival of the former's junior chick. The eggs of the blue-footed booby had higher yolk concentrations of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and lower concentrations of testosterone (T); both species had similarly high yolk concentrations of androstenedione (A). Intra-clutch variation in yolk DHT, T and A failed to support our predictions. In both species, first and second eggs showed similar concentrations of all three hormones and were of similar size, although in the blue-footed booby (only) yolk masses declined with laying order. Brown booby mothers make junior chicks vulnerable to siblicide by hatching them 5 d after their broodmates, but not by differential allocation of egg androgens or nutrients. Blue-footed booby mothers appear to prepare junior chicks for thriving in a subordinate non-provocative role by hatching them 4 d after their broodmates and providing them with 10% less yolk. To orchestrate agonism within the brood, these boobies may rely more on hatch intervals and yolk provision than on androgens.

Male reproductive senescence: the price of immune‐induced oxidative damage on sexual attractiveness in the blue‐footed booby

In animals, male reproduction is commonly a function of sexual attractiveness, based on the expression of sexually dimorphic traits that advertise genuinely the male's quality. Male performance may decline with age because physiological functions underlying sexual attractiveness may be affected by senescence. Here we show that a sexual signal (foot colour) declines with age, due probably to the deleterious effects of oxidative damage. We found that in the blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii foot colour during courtship was less attractive in senescent than in middle-aged males. In addition, we increased reactive oxygen species experimentally by immunizing males with lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial cell wall component that induces marked oxidative stress in animals. The immune system activation induced greater lipid peroxidation and invoked changes on colour expression (less attractive), particularly in senescent males. These results support the idea that oxidative stress affects reproductive senescence, and suggest that oxidative damage might be a proximal mechanism underlying age-reproductive patterns in long-lived animals.

Diving behavior of blue-footed boobies Sula nebouxii in northern Peru in relation to sex, body size and prey type

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 336:291-303 (2007) - doi:10.3354/meps336291 Diving behavior of blue-footed boobies Sula nebouxii in northern Peru in relation to sex, body size and prey type Carlos B. Zavalaga1,*, Silvano Benvenuti2, Luigi Dall’Antonia2, Steven D. Emslie1 1Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-5915, USA 2Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy *Email: cbz3724@uncw.edu ABSTRACT: We studied the diving behavior and diet of the sexually size-dimorphic blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii (BFB) breeding on Isla Lobos de Tierra, Peru, to evaluate whether sexual dimorphism is associated with feeding niche divergence between the sexes. We also discuss the foraging behavior of BFBs in relation to what is known about the vertical distribution of their main prey, and compare the BFB’s foraging behavior with that of other tropical and temperate Sulidae. After analyzing data on 23 females and 28 males, we found no sexual differences in diet composition, crop mass, trip length, number of trips per day, proportion of time in flight and on the water, and number of dives per hour. We argue that this is because males and females were foraging in the same areas close to their colony. Conversely, females dived significantly deeper and longer, and consumed larger prey than males indicating that segregation may occur underwater. Body size (regardless of sex) was positively correlated to dive depth and prey size, suggesting that feeding niche separation is mediated by size dimorphism. However, the effects of body size and sex on foraging behavior could not be separated. BFBs and larger temperate gannets attained similar depths, but BFBs dived much deeper than did tropical boobies. The Peruvian anchovy Engraulis ringens was the most important prey consumed by BFBs, accounting over 79 to 97% of the total mass of the regurgitations. The temporal distribution of dives and dive profiles seems to be linked to the behavior and vertical distribution of anchovies. KEY WORDS: Foraging niche segregation · Blue-footed boobies · Sula nebouxii · Sexual dimorphism · Diving behavior · Peruvian anchovies Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 336. Online publication date: April 27, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.

Effects of breeding success, mate fidelity and senescence on breeding dispersal of male and female blue‐footed boobies

1. Understanding the effects of individual and population factors on variation in breeding dispersal (the movement of individuals between successive breeding sites) is key to identifying the strategies behind breeders' movements. Dispersal is often influenced by multiple factors and these can be confounded with each other. We used 13 years of data on the locations, mates, breeding success and ages of individuals to tease apart the factors influencing breeding dispersal in a colonially breeding long-lived seabird, the blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii. 2. Breeding dispersal varied among and within years. Males dispersed further in years of higher population density, and late breeding males and females dispersed further than early breeders. This temporal variation related to changes in competition for territory was taken into account in all tests of individual factors influencing breeding dispersal. 3. Individuals that retained their mates from the previous year dispersed shorter distances than those that changed their mates. 4. The effect of previous breeding success depended on mate fidelity. Unsuccessful breeding induced greater dispersal in birds that changed their mates but not in birds that retained their mates, indicating that breeders who change mates may take their own previous breeding experience into account during habitat selection. Faithful individuals may have to stay close to their previous sites to encounter their mates. 5. Male divorcees dispersed over shorter distances than their former mates, possibly because males contribute more than females to establishing territories. 6. Dispersal of males and females declined with increasing age over the first 10-11 years of life, then increased in old age, possibly due to senescent decay in the ability to compete for mates and territories.

Disturbance sources, human predation and reproductive success of seabirds in tropical coastal ecosystems of Sinaloa State, Mexico

From March to July 2000, four seabird colonies in coastal ecosystems of Sinaloa, north-west Mexico were visited: on islets, a sandy beach and a long-abandoned salt-panning flat. There were partial and total breeding failures, most of them due to human activity. Amongst colonies of nine species, the breeding success of three was severely affected. All 250 Royal Tern Sterna maxima eggs were taken for direct consumption; 50% (75) of Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii chicks were killed for crab (Portunidae) fishing; and in a Least Tern Sterna antillarum colony (97 pairs), 50% failed due to disturbance from a fishing championship. Some of these species have priority status within Mexican and international conservation regulations. Certain aspects of these problems are discussed, and actions are suggested to balance conservation and the development of economic activities.

Differential responses of boobies and other seabirds in the Galapagos to the 1986-87 El Nino-Southern Oscillation event

The impact of the 1986-87 El Nido-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event on seabirds in the Galapagos Islands was generally less severe than that of the previous ENSO in 1982-83. Sea surface temperatures (SST) rose to levels comparable to those of 4 ENSOs pnor to the 1982-83 event. SST became anomalous approximately in January and had returned to typical levels by July. Blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii reproductive attempts failed throughout the archipelago, and breeding colonies were deserted, shortly after SST became unusually warm in January. Masked boobies S. dactylatra, redfooted boobies S. sula and several other species were apparently unaffected by the anomalous conditions, or temporarily suspended breeding for several months. A gradient in both SST and in the ENSO's impact on some seabirds was evident, with populations nesting in the cooler south of the archipelago affected less than those in the warmer north. At one colony studied both before and during the ENSO, blue-footed booby failure was associated with apparent reductions in both availablllty and body size of their primary prey item.

GROUP DIVING IN THE BLUEFOOTED BOOBY SULA NEBOUXII

IbisVolume 112, Issue 1 p. 111-112 GROUP DIVING IN THE BLUEFOOTED BOOBY SULA NEBOUXII D. T. Prkin, D. T. Prkin Department of Zoology, West Mains Road, Edinburgh 9Search for more papers by this authorA. W. Ewing, A. W. Ewing Department of Zoology, West Mains Road, Edinburgh 9Search for more papers by this authorH. A. Ford, H. A. Ford Department of Zoology, West Mains Road, Edinburgh 9Search for more papers by this author D. T. Prkin, D. T. Prkin Department of Zoology, West Mains Road, Edinburgh 9Search for more papers by this authorA. W. Ewing, A. W. Ewing Department of Zoology, West Mains Road, Edinburgh 9Search for more papers by this authorH. A. Ford, H. A. Ford Department of Zoology, West Mains Road, Edinburgh 9Search for more papers by this author First published: January 1970 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1970.tb00082.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume112, Issue1January 1970Pages 111-112 RelatedInformation