Oceanodroma Furcata Research Articles

Winter Seabird Populations in Open Waters of the Sea of Okhotsk

Shipboard observations were conducted during the Sea of Okhotsk walleye pollock expedition in January–April 2015. The surveys showed that the modern winter avifauna of the open waters of the Sea of Okhotsk includes at least 19 species of seabirds. According to transect survey data, the average distribution density of all birds was 10.0 ind./km2. Alcids (47.9%), procellariids (33.1%), and larids (18.8%) dominated among the winter populations, while albatrosses and storm petrels each accounted for 0.1%. The short-tailed shearwater, fork-tailed storm petrel, black-legged kittiwake, red-legged kittiwake, pigeon guillemot, and tufted puffin were recorded in the inner part of the sea in the winter for the first time. The changes in seabird populations might be due to a significant reduction in the ice cover of the Sea of Okhotsk.

Year-round movements of sympatric Fork-tailed (Oceanodroma furcata ) and Leach's (O. leucorhoa ) storm-petrels

Year-round movements of sympatric Fork-tailed (<i>Oceanodroma furcata</i> ) and Leach's (<i>O. leucorhoa</i> ) storm-petrels

PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN SEABIRDS FROM THE OKHOTSK SEA

Persistent organic pollutants as organochlorine pesticides are lipophilic anthropogenic substances. Isomers of HCH and DDT and their metabolites are detected in organs of the seabirds Larus schistisagus, Aethia cristatella, Aethia pusilla, Fulmarus glacialis, and Oceanodroma furcata collected in the Okhotsk Sea. Total content of the pesticides in the certain examined organs varies from 28 ng to 16095 ng per 1 g of lipids: 28–8289 ng/g in feathers, 1567–16095 ng/g in feathers with skin, 1679–2478 ng/g in liver, 2230–3000 ng/g in muscles. Their average content in the whole body changes in the range from 12.5 to 15112.0 ng/g. Species specific features of the lipophilic xenobiotics accumulation are conditioned mainly by feeding habits and lipid content in the organs.

Bioindicators of Organochlorine Pesticides in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Western Bering Sea.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as HCHs and DDTs, are still used as pesticides in the Southern Hemisphere and can reach the North Pacific due to long range atmospheric transfer. Marine mammals (Pacific walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens, gray whale Eschrichtius robustus), the seabirds (Pacific gull Larus schistisagus, crested auklet Aethia cristatella, auklet crumb Aethia pusilla, northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, and grey petrel Oceanodroma furcata) and Pacific salmon (pink Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, chum O. keta, chinook O. tshawytscha, and sockeye O. nerka) were collected near the Kuril Islands (the northern-western part of the Pacific Ocean), in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. The total OCPs concentration (HCHs+DDTs) was found in each organism, including the Pacific walrus (70-90,263ng/g lipid), the seabirds (29-16,095ng/g lipid), and the Pacific salmon (41-7103ng/g lipid). The concentrations and possible sources of OCPs in marine organisms as biological indicators are discussed.

Hexachlorocyclohexane and DDT in marine organisms from the Bering and the Okhotsk Seas

Organochlorine pesticides (HCHs and DDT) are harmful and toxic substances affected biota. HCHs and DDT are still used as pesticides in the Southern Hemisphere and from there can reach the North Pacific due to atmospheric transfer. Isomers of HCH and DDT and their metabolites were detected in organs of some marine mammals ( Eschrichtius robustus, Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) from the Bering Sea; the maximum concentration was found in the walrus liver (90263 ng/g lipids). To trace these pollutants spreading in the Okhotsk Sea, the seabirds (Pacific gull Larus schistisagus, crested auklet Aethia cristatella, auklet crumb Aethia pusilla, northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, and grey petrel Oceanodroma furcata ) and fishes (pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbusсha and chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta ) were sampled; the pesticides concentration in the birds tissues ranges from 29 ng/g lipids in plume of the fulmar to 16095 ng/g lipids in plume and skin of the auklet and in the salmons tissues - from 220-330 ng/g lipids for the pink salmon to 550-790 ng/g lipids for the chum salmon (both fish species were caught at Kuril Islands).

Mercury concentrations in breast feathers of three upper trophic level marine predators from the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element distributed globally through atmospheric transport. Agattu Island, located in the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska, has no history of point-sources of Hg contamination. We provide baseline levels of total mercury (THg) concentrations in breast feathers of three birds that breed on the island. Geometric mean THg concentrations in feathers of fork-tailed storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata; 6703±1635, ng/g fresh weight [fw]) were higher than all other species, including snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus; 2105±1631, ng/g fw), a raptor with a diet composed largely of storm-petrels at Agattu Island. There were no significant differences in mean THg concentrations of breast feathers among adult Kittlitz’s murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris; 1658±1276, ng/gfw) and chicks (1475±671, ng/gfw) and snowy owls. The observed THg concentrations in fork-tailed storm-petrel feathers emphasizes the need for further study of Hg pollution in the western Aleutian Islands.

An Experimental Study of Social Attraction in Two Species of Storm-Petrel by Acoustic and Olfactory Cues

Abstract. Many birds, notably colonial nesting seabirds, use public information (the visual, auditory, and olfactory presence of breeding conspecifics) when selecting nesting habitat. When colonies are extirpated, social cues that indicate nesting sites' quality are lost. In the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, storm-petrel populations were destroyed by introduced arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and have been slow to return after the foxes' eradication. We tested various social-attraction techniques as a method to encourage recolonization of Leach's (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels (O. furcata) in Ulva Cove at Amatignak, a former fox-farming island. We tested attraction to playback of each species' calls by broadcasting them in various patterns adjacent to a mist net and attraction to their odors with a T-maze design. We combined these two cues to test whether birds were more likely to enter and inhabit artificial burrows depending on playback and odor treatment. Both species of storm-petrel w...

Species distribution modeling of storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata and O. leucorhoa) in the North Pacific and the role of dimethyl sulfide

Storm-petrels have been shown to use dimethyl sulfide (DMS) as a foraging cue, suggesting that this compound may be used to predict their distribution. We describe a new distribution model that employs machine learning software and geographic information systems to model storm-petrel distribution. We used environmental predictor variables that included newly available climatologies of sea surface DMS concentrations to construct distribution maps of fork-tailed storm-petrel (Oceanodroma furcata) and Leach’s storm-petrel (O. leucorhoa) in the North Pacific and Bering Sea. Model accuracy was assessed by (1) using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values and (2) comparing predicted distributions to presence and non-detection data from two opportunistic pelagic surveys performed in summer 2008. Models using all predictor variables gave AUC values of 0.89 and 0.75, sensitivity values of 0.73 and 0.61, and specificity values of 0.83 and 0.73 for fork-tailed and Leach’s storm-petrel, respectively. Models using all predictor variables except DMS gave AUC values of 0.87 and 0.74, sensitivity values of 0.81 and 0.60, and specificity values of 0.77 for fork-tailed and Leach’s storm-petrel, respectively. The large-scale link between DMS and how storm-petrels use it to locate foraging areas was reinforced by the partial dependence of DMS on the relative index of occurrence (RIO) of storm-petrels, and by a decrease in AUC values when removing DMS as a predictor. This work is a preliminary step toward linking seabird distribution to globally important infochemicals and should be a basis for further study.

The food habits of arctic fox (Alopex lagopus semenovi) reproductive families on mednyi island (Commander Islands)

In total, 1406 samples of scat of 19 arctic fox families and 1755 prey remains collected near the dens of 32 families during the cub rearing period were analyzed. This is the first attempt to evaluate the food use in the population according to averaged data for a large number of families. After the population had passed through the bottleneck, the arctic fox diet changed considerably. Colonies of petrels—the northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii and the storm-petrels Oceanodroma furcata and O. leucorhoa—became the main food source, whereas the use of alternative resources (alcids, cormorants, marine invertebrates, and otarid rookery products) decreased considerably. The following factors are assumed to determine the arctic fox foraging strategy, i.e., the selectivity in food acquisition: (1) passing of the population through the bottleneck; (2) termination of anthropogenic influence due to the liquidation of human settlements on the island; (3) decrease in both the bird populations and abundance of marine invertebrates (sea urchins and mussels); and (4) stable low density of the current arctic fox population. A hypothetical scenario for formation of the foraging specialization in the island population is discussed.

Reproductive Consequences of Nest Site Use in Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska: Potential Lasting Effects of an Introduced Predator

Drummond, B. A., and M. L. Leonard. 2010. Reproductive consequences of nest site use in fork-tailed storm-petrels in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska: potential lasting effects of an introduced predator. Avian Conservation and Ecology 5(2): 4.http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00414-050204

Association of predators and prey at frontal features in the California Current: competition, facilitation, and co-occurrence

We investigated variations in the small- to meso-scale abundance and distribution of the 6 most abundant seabird species in the northern California Current — black-footed albatross Phoe- bastria nigripes, sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus, pink-footed shearwater Puffinus creatopus, fork- tailed storm-petrel Oceanodroma furcata, common murre Uria aalge, and Cassin's auklet Ptycho- ramphus aleuticus — during the upwelling season of 2000 and 2002. Covariates (21 total), with importance assessed using logistic and generalized linear modeling and an information theoretic approach, included physical features such as sea surface temperature, dynamic height (apparent water-column pressure), and pycnocline depth; biological factors such as chlorophyll maximum; and food-web factors such as the density of 3 size classes of zooplankton, the density of potential piscine competitors, i.e. Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., and abundance of fish prey such as zooplankton, northern anchovy Engraulis mordax, and the juveniles of salmon and demersal fishes. The most important factors explaining seabird occurrence changed from mesoscale physical features during a food-rich year (2002; exhibited over 15 to 30 km) to smaller-scale occurrence of actual prey patches during a food-poor year (2000; <1 km). Spatial overlap in occurrence of murres and shearwaters with adult salmon was interpreted as co-occurrence and, perhaps, competition for prey species; a negative spatial overlap between shearwaters and abundance of forage fish was interpreted as evidence for prey depletion (or predator-induced alteration of availability) by the birds and other co-occurring predators (salmon). Overall, results and other information indicated the value of adding spatially explicit data on predator and prey species abundance and predator-prey behavior to improve food- web modeling.

Status, trends, and patterns of covariation of breeding seabirds at St Lazaria Island, Southeast Alaska, 1994–2006

AbstractAim We examined patterns of covariation among piscivorous and planktivorous seabirds breeding at St Lazaria Island in order to evaluate their responses to interannual changes in sea surface temperature, a variable that affects marine food webs. In addition, we evaluated seabird population trends for responses to decadal‐scale changes in the marine ecosystem.Location St Lazaria Island, Sitka Sound, Alaska.Methods Established seabird monitoring protocols for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge were followed in estimating population trends, the timing of nesting events and the reproductive success of eight species of seabirds between 1994 and 2006.Results Population increases were noted for storm‐petrels (Oceanodroma furcata and O. leucorhoa), rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) and glaucous‐winged gulls (Larus glaucescens). We found no population trend for pelagic cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), but it appeared that populations of common (Uria aalge) and thick‐billed (U. lomvia) murres and of tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) declined. We detected no linear trends in either breeding chronology or reproductive success over the study period for any seabird. All species of piscivorous seabirds apparently responded similarly to environmental cues as there was a positive covariation among species in the timing of nesting. Piscivores tended to nest earlier, and most species had higher rates of reproductive success in years with relatively warm spring sea temperatures. In contrast, planktivorous Leach’s storm‐petrels (O. leucorhoa) tended to nest earlier when spring and summer sea temperatures were relatively cool. Clearly, seabirds at St Lazaria were responding to interannual changes in sea temperatures near the breeding colony, probably as a result of effects on the food webs.Main conclusions Every seabird species we monitored at St Lazaria exhibited significant population trends between 1994 and 2006. For most species there appeared to be a relationship between both the timing of nesting and reproductive rates and spring or summer sea surface temperatures. Responses at both decadal (populations) and interannual (timing and reproductive success) scales make seabirds useful candidates for helping to monitor change in the marine environment.

Marine bird abundance around the Pribilof Islands: A multi-year comparison

Abstract We examined trends in the abundance and distribution of 12 species of marine birds around the Pribilof Islands, southeastern Bering Sea, over the period from 1977 to 2004. We contrasted patterns among piscivores and planktivores and related these to known and hypothesized changes in the abundance and distribution of prey in the vicinity of the islands. Planktivorous and piscivorous species of marine birds showed different patterns of abundance over time. Planktivorous seabirds that breed away from the Pribilof Islands (e.g., short-tailed shearwaters [Puffinus tenuirostris], fork-tailed storm-petrels [Oceanodroma furcata] and red phalaropes [Phalaropus fulicarius]) were scarce in the 1970s, were abundant in the 1980s, and declined in abundance in the 1990s and from 1999 to 2004. Planktivorous alcids combined (parakeet [Aethia psittacula], crested [A. cristatella] and least [A. pusilla]) that breed on the Pribilof Islands showed a similar remarkable four-fold increase from the 1970s to the 1980s, but then a small increase into the 1990s followed by a rapid decline in the 2000s to numbers similar to those present during the 1970s. The abundance of piscivores kittiwakes (Rissa spp.) and murres (Una spp.) was high in the 1970s and declined through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In 1999 and 2004, the total number of all seabirds at sea around the Pribilof Islands was well below the numbers seen at any other survey period. We hypothesize that changes in the abundances and types of seabirds present through time reflect changes in the structure of the marine ecosystem of the eastern Bering Sea shelf. We suggest that changes in pathways of energy flow may be responsible for these shifts, though the possibility that there has been a reduction in productivity cannot be ruled out given the scarcity of available data.

Trace metals, stable isotope ratios, and trophic relations in seabirds from the North Pacific Ocean

Trace elements including mercury, cadmium, selenium, and stable nitrogen isotope ratios (sigma15N) were measured in tissues of Pacific seabirds. Two species of albatross (Diomedea immutabilis, Diomedea nigripes), four species of shearwaters (Puffinus bulleri, Puffinus carneipes, Puffinus griseus, Puffinus tenuirostris), northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), and horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) were collected opportunistically by an experimental fishery in the North Pacific Ocean. Two species each of petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa, Oceanodroma furcata) and auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus, Cerorhinca monocerata) were collected at breeding colonies on the north coast of British Columbia, Canada. Concentrations of toxic trace metals varied considerably among the pelagic nonbreeders; highest concentrations consistently were in D. nigripes (e.g., Hg), 70-fold greater than F. corniculata (e.g., Cd), eightfold greater than P. tenuirostris (e.g., Se), and fourfold greater than F. corniculata. Most essential trace elements varied little among species, consistent with physiological regulation. Values for sigma15N correlated positively with hepatic Se (r = 0.771, p = 0.025) and negatively with Co (r = 0.817, p = 0.013). Among the four breeding species, there were significant positive associations for sigma15N in muscle and hepatic Se (r = 0.822, p = 0.002), Hg (r = 0.744, p = 0.0001), and Cd (r = 0.589, p = 0.003). Differences in time scales integrated by sigma15N versus trace metals in tissues probably reduced the apparent associations between trace-metal exposure and diet.

Flexible Growth Rates in Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrels: A Response to Environmental Variability

We examined the degree that growth in Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata) chicks varies among individuals and years. Data on wing chord length and body mass were collected on 10 or more chicks per year on the Barren Islands, Alaska, during seven years over two decades. In contrast to the apparently uniform growth rates in other storm-petrels (e.g. Leach's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) and British Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates pelagi- cus)), Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel chicks on the Barren Islands displayed a two-fold variation in both wing growth and mass gain. Variation in growth rate was apparent both within and among years. Correlations between wing growth and mass gain were significant in only four of seven years, a finding we interpret as indicative of the importance of changes in food quality and quantity on growth. The decadal changes in growth rate of this species between the 1980s and 1990s are consistent with the regulating role that environmental variation appears to play in the growth and survival of storm-petrels. We suggest that the wide range of observed growth rates among individuals, years, and between decades is a response to environmental variability. Received 7 November 1996, accepted 9 June 1997.

Heavy metal and metallothionein concentrations in seabirds from the Pacific coast of Canada

Seabird tissues, collected during the 1990 breeding season from colonies on the Pacific coast of Canada, were analysed for Cd, Hg, Pb and 19 other trace elements. Metallothionein (Mt) was measured in kidneys of three species. Ranges of essential trace metal concentrations were generally narrow, consistent with homeostatic control of these elements in seabird tissues. Cadmium concentrations were always higher in kidney than in liver. Highest mean Cd concentrations (306±78 μg g −1 dry wt) were in kidneys of planktivorous Leach's storm-petrels ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa) from Hippa Island in the Queen Charlotte archipelago. Cadmium concentrations in kidneys of both Leach's storm-petrels and rhinoceros auklets ( Cerorhinca monocerata) were significantly greater at northern colonies compared to those further south. Cadmium and Mt concentrations were positively correlated in kidneys across the three species for which measurements were made [rhinoceros auklet, Cassin's auklet ( Ptychoramphus aleuticus), and ancient murrelet ( Synthliboramphus antiquus)] with an overall r = 0.82, p < 0.001. Mercury accumulation was not sufficiently great to be of toxicological concern in any of the 5 species. Highest mean Hg concentrations (6.37 μg g −1) were in livers of Leach's storm-petrels from Cleland Island on the west coast of Vancouver Island, and were significantly greater than in birds from further north on Hippa Island. Concentrations of hepatic Hg and Se were not correlated in the three species (rhinoceros auklet, Cassin's auklet and ancient murrelet) for which Se was measured. Lead concentrations were consistently greatest in bone, with highest mean concentrations in fork-tailed storm-petrels ( Oceanodroma furcata) (6.2 μg g −1 dry wt).

Organochlorine contaminants in seabird eggs from the Pacific coast of Canada, 1971?1986

Eggs were collected from seven seabird species at colonies on the British Columbia coast from 1983 to 1986 and analyzed for organochlorine contaminants. Total PCB levels (wet weight) were highest in double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) from the Fraser estuary (2.91 mg kg(-1)) and the Strait of Georgia (3.79 mg kg(-1)). Highest DDE levels were in fork-tailed storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata) from the Queen Charlotte Islands (1.68 mg kg(-1)). Organochlorine levels were generally lower in eggs from the mid 1980s than in those collected in the early 1970s. Organochlorine levels in Pacific alcids and hydrobatids foraging in offshore locations were compared to those in the same or ecologically similar species from the Canadian Atlantic coast. DDT- and HCH-related compounds were higher in Pacific populations while levels of dieldrin, oxychlordane, and HCB were generally lower. With the exception of β-HCH, levels of all measured organochlorines were lower in cormorants breeding in the Fraser River estuary than in cormorants from the St. Lawrence River estuary on the Atlantic coast.

Weathered crude oil effects on chicks of Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma furcata)

Adult Storm-Petrels had between 0.004 and 0.0008 ml of fossil fuel hydrocarbons present in their food samples when they were considered contaminated. Chicks of Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma furcata) were fed 0.1 ml of weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil, which should be close to the maximum dose they might receive at a feeding. Chicks dosed orally once, twice, or weekly with 0.1 ml weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil did not differ significantly in gross morphology, bill, tarsus, or wing growth from control chicks. Chicks dosed one time gained weight between the ages of 0–21 days at significantly slower rates. Chicks aged 22–51 days grew similarly regardless of treatment. Dosed chicks fledged on average two days later than control chicks. Ingesting small amounts of weathered oil had little effect perhaps because Storm-Petrels may be able to ingest long-chained hydrocarbons (like petroleum) with relative impunity, because these compounds are relatively nontoxic and are part of their normal diet.

Comparison of Nesting Biology of Fork-Tailed and Leach's Storm-Petrels

Comparison of Nesting Biology of Fork-Tailed and Leach's Storm-Petrels

Body Temperature, Torpor, and Growth in Chicks of Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma furcata)

Chicks of fork-tailed storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata) are left unattended for several days following hatching. They achieve thermoregulatory ability at about 5 days of age and generally maintain body temperatures (Tb) of between 37.2 and 37.4 C until fledging. However, if adults do not return regularly with enough food, Tb's of chicks may decrease to as low as 10.6 C, and chicks become torpid. If feeding is resumed, chicks recover normal Tb's and growth with no apparent ill effects. Younger smaller chicks experience lower Tb's than older larger chicks, probably because their surface-to-volume ratios, food storage capacities, and feather insulation are less favorable. The correlation between food load (mean weight gain) and body temperature is highly significant, but neither variable was strongly correlated with tarsal growth rates. However, the variability of food loads did significantly affect growth, with the slowest-growing chicks having the least variable food loads. These findings suggest that the metabolism of chicks of fork-tailed storm-petrels is adjusted to a gorge-and-fast feeding pattern resulting from this species' exploitation of scarce or unpredictable food resources.