Phaethon Rubricauda Research Articles

Effects of a Chemical Weapons Incineration Plant on Red-Tailed Tropicbirds

From 1990 to 2000, the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS) incinerated part of the U.S. stockpile of chemical weapons on Johnston Atoll, central Pacific Ocean, which also is a National Wildlife Refuge and home to approximately a half-million breeding seabirds. The effect on wildlife of incineration of these weapons is unknown. Using a multi-strata mark-recapture analysis, we investigated the effects of JACADS on reproductive success, survival, and movement probabilities of red-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) nesting both downwind and upwind of the incineration site. We found no effect of chemical incineration on these tropicbird demographic parameters over the 8 years of our study. An additional 3 years of monitoring tropicbird demography will take place, post-incineration.

Breeding seasons of seabirds at Europa Island (southern Mozambique Channel) in relation to seasonal changes in the marine environment

AbstractTropical seabirds have evolved a wide range of breeding regimes to fit with their local environment. The western Indian Ocean shows various oceanic situations, providing opportunities to link variations in breeding phenology with variations of the environment. The breeding seasons of seabirds at Europa Island (Mozambique Channel, western Indian Ocean) are analysed. Three oceanic, tuna‐associated species (the sooty tern Sterna fuscata, the red‐footed booby Sula sula, and Audubon's shearwater Puffinus lherminieri) breed during austral winter (June–October), whereas the red‐tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda breeds during austral summer (November–April). During winter, sea‐surface temperatures are the lowest, subtropical waters are the closest to the island, and long‐line catches of tunas are important. Thermal fronts occur during winter, in relation to the northward shift of subtropical waters. This is known to be favourable to tunas, and I suggest that the winter breeding of sooty terns, red‐footed boobies and Audubon's shearwaters is because of an increase in the abundance of tunas. Geographic variations in the breeding phenology of sooty terns in the western Indian Ocean largely support the hypothesis that sooty terns take advantage of cool subtropical waters, when those waters are within their foraging range. The red‐tailed tropicbird is a solitary forager, not associated with tunas. During the chick‐rearing period, 40% of the mass of food brought to the chicks consists of dolphin‐fishes Coryphaena spp. Those warm water, surface dwelling fishes are known to migrate in relation to sea‐surface temperatures. Seasonal changes in the occurrence or vulnerability of dolphin‐fish in the Mozambique Channel may have favoured a summer breeding regime in red‐tailed tropicbirds at Europa Island. Further studies of the marine life of seabirds are needed to test these hypotheses and to learn more about the foraging ecology of tropical seabirds.

Pursuit plunging by northern gannets (Sula bassana) feeding on capelin (Mallotus villosus).

Northern gannets (Sula bassana) are considered to obtain prey usually by rapid, vertical, shallow plunge dives. In order to test this contention and investigate underwater foraging behaviour, we attached two types of data-logging systems to 11 parental northern gannets at Funk Island in the North-Wiest Atlantic. We documented, for the first time to the authors' knowledge, gannets performing long, flat-bottomed, U-shaped dives that involved underwater wing propulsion as well as rapid, shallow, V-shaped dives. The median and maximum dive depths and durations were 4.6 and 22.0 m and 8 and 38 s, respectively. Short, shallow dives were usually V-shaped and dives deeper than 8 m and longer than 10 s were usually U-shaped, including a period at constant depth (varying between 4 and 28s with median 8s). Diving occurred throughout the daylight period and deepest dives were performed during late morning. On the basis of motion sensors in the loggers and food collections from telemetered birds, we concluded that extended, deep dives were directed at deep schools of capelin, a small pelagic fish, and we hypothesized that V-shaped dives were aimed at larger, pelagic fishes and squids. Furthermore, these V-shaped dives allowed the birds to surprise their pelagic prey and this may be critical because the maximum swimming speeds of the prey species may exceed the maximum dive speeds of the birds.

Metal levels in feathers of 12 species of seabirds from Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean

Seabirds are excellent subjects for examination of heavy metals because they are long-lived, feed at different distances from land, and exhibit different trophic levels. In this paper we compare the levels of lead, cadmium, mercury arsenic, chromium, manganese, selenium, and tin in the feathers of birds nesting on Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean. We test the null hypothesis that there are no interspecific differences in the levels of metals in the feathers of the adult black-footed albatross ( Diomedea nigripes), Laysan albatross ( Diomedea immutabilis), red-footed booby ( Sula sula), great frigatebird ( Fregata minor), Bonin petrel ( Pterodroma hypoleuca), Christmas shearwater ( Puffinus nativitatis), red-tailed tropicbird ( Phaethon rubricauda), wedge-tailed shearwater ( Puffinus pacificus), brown noddy ( Anous stolidus), sooty tern ( Sterna fuscata), grey-backed tern ( Sterna lunata), and white tern ( Gygis alba), and young of some of these species. There were interspecific differences in the levels of all metals for adults. Christmas shearwater had the highest levels of lead, cadmium, selenium and manganese, but the second lowest levels of mercury. In general, metal levels were the lowest in the smallest species (white tern), but were not the highest in the largest species (black-footed albatross), except for manganese, arsenic and mercury. There was a high variance in metal levels among adults for some species, but not for others. White tern adults were variable for lead, while Christmas shearwaters were variable for lead and cadmium. Compared to the means for metals in other birds generally (after Burger, 1993), Christmas shearwaters had higher levels of lead, white terns, brown noddy, Christmas shearwater, frigatebirds and Laysan albatrosses had higher levels of cadmium, and bonin petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, and both albatrosses had higher levels of mercury. Whereas the means for lead and cadmium were below the known effects levels, some individuals had levels high enough to cause adverse effects in the birds. The mean values for mercury in Bonin petrel, red-tailed tropicbird, and black-footed albatross were higher than the levels known to cause adverse reproductive and behavioral effects.

NEST-SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF RED-TAILED TROPICBIRDS ON ROSE ATOLL, AMERICAN SAMOA

We examined nest sites of Red-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) on Rose Island of the Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, American Samoa, to determine habitat features important for nest-site selection of this species. We quantified habitat characteristics at 27 nest sites and at 27 random sites during September 1991. All nests were located under beach heliotrope (Messerschmidia argentea) shrubs or pisonia (Pisonia grandis) trees. Nest sites were placed farther under the nest shrub, had more stems in the nest space, and greater percent shade cover than random sites. Nest sites averaged 24.9 m from their nearest neighbor, ≥20 m greater than has been reported elsewhere for this colonial species. We suggest that an overpopulation of Polynesian rats (Rattus exelans) may have influenced nest-site selection by Red-tailed Tropicbirds on Rose Island.

Reproductive Endocrinology of Tropical Seabirds: Sex-Specific Patterns in LH, Steroids, and Prolactin Secretion in Relation to Parental Care

Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone, and progesterone were measured throughout breeding in masked boobies, red-footed boobies, and red-tailed tropicbirds at Europa and Tromelin Islands (Indian Ocean). LH secretion showed a dampened pattern in the three species, particularly in tropicbirds. Such specific differences may be related to the less elaborate courtship displays in tropicbirds. Testosterone levels were very low throughout breeding in all three species, particularly in boobies. Low testosterone values in boobies may be related to their year-round attendance at the colony. Prolactin secretion increased from the prelaying period until the incubation and brooding periods and declined thereafter in boobies but stayed relatively unchanged throughout the breeding cycle in tropicbirds. The relatively constant prolactin secretion in the more pelagic tropicbirds might allow them to undertake parental care despite long absences at sea. Boobies perform postfledging care with basal prolactin levels. For all species, females always have higher prolactin levels than males. This hormonal dimorphism, being more pronounced in boobies, may be associated with differences in parental care between mates.

Wing Ecomorphology of Seabirds from Johnston Atoll

Wing morphology of nine species of seabirds from Johnston Atoll in the central tropical Pacific was analyzed to determine how wing size and shape correlated with observed foraging behavior and, in some species, the energetic cost of flight. Red-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) and Christmas Shearwaters (Puffinus nativitatis) had lower wing areas, shorter wing spans, and higher relative wing loading than would be predicted from mass alone. Brown Noddies (Anous stolidus) and Red-footed Boobies (Sula sula) had lower wing loading, Brown Boobics (Sula leucogaster) and Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) had higher aspect ratios, and Brown Noddies had lower aspect ratio than would be predicted from mass alone. Aspect ratio showed greater intraspecific variation than the other variables. In most cases, predicted differences in wing morphology correlated well with observed foraging differences among species, and species that did not differ significantly in body mass differed with respect to wing size and shape; these morphological differences reflected varying flight and foraging behaviors. Sooty Terns had a higher aspect ratio and higher wing loading than Brown Noddies reflecting their more pelagic lifestyle, and Christmas Shearwaters had a lower aspect ratio and higher wing loading than Wedge-tailed Shear-waters (Puffinus pacificus) reflecting their pursuit plunging behavior.

Metals in Feathers of Bonin Petrel, Christmas Shearwater, Wedge-Tailed Shearwater, and Red-Tailed Tropicbird in the Hawaian Islands, Northern Pacific

Levels of environmental pollutants are usually higher in mainland and coastal areas than in offshore or oceanic islands due to higher inputs from agricultural and industrial sources. Levels of heavy metals are usually higher in adult than in young birds, because they have had longer to accumulate metals in their tissues, and/or because they may eat larger, more contaminated, prey. We examined the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury, and selenium in the adults and young of Bonin petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca), Christmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) and red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) on Midway Atoll, and adult wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) on Midway Atoll and on Manana Island (off Oahu) in the northern Pacific. All birds were analyzed individually except for Christmas Shearwater chicks where samples were pooled to obtain sufficient quantities for analysis. Significant (p<0.05) age-related differences were found for mercury, selenium, manganese and chromium in Bonin petrels, for selenium and mercury in Christmas shearwaters, and for chromium and mercury in Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Lead approached significance for all three species. Adults had higher levels than young except for chromium and manganese in the petrels and arsenic in all three species. There were significant interspecific differences in concentrations of all metals except arsenic for the adults nesting on Midway. Christmas shearwaters had the highest levels of all metals except mercury and chromium. Bonin petrels, the smallest species examined, had mercury levels that were over three times higher than any of the adults of the other three species. For wedge-tailed shearwaters, levels of chromium and lead were significantly higher, and manganese and selenium were lower on Midway than Manana. Knowledge of the foraging ranges and habits of these far-ranging seabirds is inadequately known, but does not currently explain the observed differences among species. We could not find a consistent pattern of differences between the burrow nesting species (Bonin petrel, Wedge-tailed shearwater) and the surface nesting tropicbirds. There was no consistent pairwise correlation between any metals across all species.

Diving Depths of Two Tropical Pelecaniformes: The Red-Tailed Tropicbird and the Red-Footed Booby

The diving ability of two tropical Pelecaniformes, the Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) and the Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) was studied on Europa Island, southern Mozambique Channel, using capillary depth recorders fitted on breeding adults. Both species mainly exploited the first 4 m of the water column. Although such a depth can be reached solely by passive plunge diving, the range of depths reached by the two species suggests that they may, at least sometimes, use their feet and wings to perform active underwater pursuit swimming. Intra-specific comparison of the depth reached by Red-tailed Tropicbirds also suggests that this species may change its diving behavior seasonally.

Testing the functional significance of tail streamers

Studies of the evolution of elaborate ornaments have concentrated on their role in increasing attractiveness to mates. The classic examples of such sexually selected structures are the elongated tails of some bird species. Elongated tails can be divided into three categories: graduated tails, pin tails and streamers. There seems to be little debate about whether graduated and pin tails are ornaments; i.e. costly signals used in mate choice. However, in the case of streamers there is considerable discussion about their function. It has been suggested that tail streamers could be (i) entirely naturally selected, (ii) entirely sexually selected, (iii) partly naturally and partly sexually selected. The prime example of a species with tail streamers is the swallow (Hirundo rustica) in which both sexes have tail streamers. In this paper we discuss the aerodynamic consequences of different types of manipulation of the streamer and/or outer tail feather. We make qualitative predictions about the aerodynamic performance of swallows with manipulated tail streamers; these predictions differ depending on whether streamers have a naturally or sexually selected function. We demonstrate that these hypotheses can only be separated if tail streamers are shortened and changes in aerodynamic performance measured during turning flight.

Experimental Manipulation of Feeding in Red-Tailed Tropicbird Chicks

Experimental Manipulation of Feeding in Red-Tailed Tropicbird Chicks

Weights, hematology, and serum chemistry of seven species of free-ranging tropical pelagic seabirds.

I established reference values for weight, hematology, and serum chemistry for seven species of free-ranging Hawaiian tropical pelagic seabirds comprising three orders (Procellariiformes, Pelecaniformes, Charadriiformes) and six families (Procellariidae, Phaethontidae, Diomedeidae, Sulidae, Fregatidae, and Laridae). Species examined included 84 Hawaiian darkrumped petrels (Pterodoma phaeopygia), 90 wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus), 151 Laysan albatrosses (Diomedea immutabilis), 69 red-footed boobies (Sula sula), 154 red-tailed tropicbirds (Phaeton rubricauda), 90 great frigatebirds (Fregata minor), and 72 sooty terns (Sterna fuscata). Hematocrit, total plasma solids, total and differential white cell counts, serum glucose, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase and creatinine phosphokinase were analyzed. Among and within species, hematology and chemistry values varied with age, sex, season, and island of collection. Despite this variation, order-wide trends were observed.

El Nino-Southern Oscillation Effects on Provisioning and Growth in Red-Tailed Tropicbirds

El Nino-Southern Oscillation Effects on Provisioning and Growth in Red-Tailed Tropicbirds

Pre- and Post-El Nino Southern Oscillation Comparison of Nest Sites for Red-Tailed Tropicbirds Breeding in the Central Pacific Ocean

Red-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) breeding on Christmas Island, Central Pacific Ocean, exhibited stable preferences for nest sites over time, such that vegetative characteristics associated with active nests were similar in 1980 and 1984. Before the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO, 1980) the vegetative structure of randomly placed points differed from that of actual nests. After the ENSO (1984) the vegetative structure at randomly placed points resembled that of actual nests, suggesting that the overall availability of preferred sites may have increased. Records of the thermal environment surrounding actual nests and other points within the same shrub suggest that shifts in vegetative structure of nesting habitat created a favorable thermal environment for tropicbird chicks. This post-ENSO shift in habitat structure was accompanied by an increase in the number of active nests at the Y-site colony relative to pre-ENSO breeding seasons. These data support the hypothesis that suitable nest sites may limit short-term reproductive opportunities of tropicbirds, hence influence the rate of population growth and time course of recovery from catastrophic events such as ENSO..

Egg Temperatures and Parental Behavior during the Transition from Incubation to Brooding in the American White Pelican

Egg Temperatures and Parental Behavior during the Transition from Incubation to Brooding in the American White Pelican

Extended Post-Fledging Parental Care in the Red-Tailed Tropicbird and Sooty Tern

In an extensive literature search on post-fledging parental care in seabirds, Burger (1980) noted little evidence for the phenomenon in Red-billed and White-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus and P. lepturus). On the basis of Fleet's (1974) observations of the Red-tailed Tropicbird (P. rubricauda), she concluded that parents feed their chicks up to 30 days after fledging, but that during this period young remain in the vicinity of the nest. The evidence heretofore available suggests that once young tropicbirds leave the colony, they are independent (see also Nelson 1983). Among terns, extended parental care hundreds of kilometers from nesting colonies has been noted for a number of species (reviewed by Burger 1980). Before now, however, there was little evidence that Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) care for fledged young anywhere other than in the colony. Evidence that they might do otherwise is confined to two observations of parent-chick groups 8 and 20 km from Bird Island in the Seychelles (Feare 1975). In this paper we report behaviors that indicate extended post-fledging parental care in Red-tailed Tropicbirds and Sooty Terns. Observations were made during seven cruises across the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The cruises were as follows: (1) from Panama City, Panama, to Wellington, New Zealand, 10 to 30 November 1976; (2) from Long Beach, California, to Wellington (via Tahiti), 15 November to 9 December 1977; (3) from Sydney, Australia, to Long Beach (via American Samoa), 13 March to 5 April 1979; (4) from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Long Beach (via Lima, Peru), 19 April to 28 May 1980; (5) from Seattle to the Equator, 90*W to 160*W, and return, 7 October to 5 December 1983; (6) from Miami to the same section of the Equator (via the Panama Canal) to Honolulu, Hawaii and then to Tahiti, 9 April to 4 June 1984; and, (7) Miami to Honolulu (same route), 9 October to 5 November 1984. Seabirds were censused 30 min each daylight hour that our ships were underway, or between 13 and 15 census periods per day (for details, see Ainley and Boekelheide 1983).

Breeding of the Trindade Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana on Round Island, Mauritius

Round Island (19°51'S, 57°47'E), an uninhabited volcanic islet lying 14 miles NNE of the Mauritian mainland, provides locally important breeding grounds for four species of seabirds; the Trindade Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana, the Wedge‐tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus, the Red‐tailed Tropic Bird Phaethon rubricauda and the White‐tailed Tropic Bird Phaethon lepturus. The landing conditions on the island are notoriously difficult and prior to 1975, visits by naturalists had been limited to short stays, a few days at the most. Accounts of the natural history of the island have been made by Vinson (1965), Bullock (1977) and Bullock &amp; North (1984). This paper gives the results of studies on the breeding biology of the Trindade Petrel during two visits to Round Island from 27 July to 2 September 1978, and from 30 July to 18 August 1982.

Nest-Site Selection by the Red-Tailed Tropicbird

Abstract Red-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) nest under shrubs in loosely associated groups on Christmas Island, Central Pacific Ocean. Aggressive interactions among adults at nest sites are high; yet, large areas of superficially similar habitat contain no tropicbird nests at all. We compared physiognomic features of nest sites with those of two sets of randomly generated "nest sites" by discriminant function analysis. Of those variables measured, the number of stems within a nest space and the amount of peripheral cover influenced the tropicbirds' choice of nest sites. Differences among localities existed. Areas where tropicbirds nested had shrubs with few stems and more peripheral cover. Preferred nest sites were rare in areas other than those in which tropicbirds were nesting already. This study demonstrates the utility of the discriminant function technique in quantifying nest-site selection and nest-site availability when the appropriate null data sets are used.

BREEDING PERIODICITY, NESTING SUCCESS AND NEST SITE SELECTION AMONG RED‐TAILED TROPICBIRDS PHAETHON RUBRICAUDA AND WHITE‐TAILED TROPICBIRDS P. LEPTURUS ON ALDABRA ATOLL

IbisVolume 122, Issue 1 p. 76-81 BREEDING PERIODICITY, NESTING SUCCESS AND NEST SITE SELECTION AMONG RED-TAILED TROPICBIRDS PHAETHON RUBRICAUDA AND WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRDS P. LEPTURUS ON ALDABRA ATOLL R. P. Prys-Jones, R. P. Prys-Jones British Museum (Natural History), Tring, Hertfordshire, Great Britain Institute, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PSSearch for more papers by this authorC. Peet, C. Peet Royal Society Aldabra Research Station, P.O. Box 336, Victoria, Mahe, SeychellesSearch for more papers by this author R. P. Prys-Jones, R. P. Prys-Jones British Museum (Natural History), Tring, Hertfordshire, Great Britain Institute, Department of Zoology, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PSSearch for more papers by this authorC. Peet, C. Peet Royal Society Aldabra Research Station, P.O. Box 336, Victoria, Mahe, SeychellesSearch for more papers by this author First published: January 1980 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1980.tb00873.xCitations: 13 AboutPDF 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 onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume122, Issue1January 1980Pages 76-81 RelatedInformation

Nesting of the Red-Tailed Tropicbird at Sugarloajf Rock, Wa

Records of the Red-tailed Tropicbud m southern Western Australia before regular nesting began at Sugarloaf Rock are given. The growth of the colony and its situation are described. Aerial displays and choice of nesting sites were observed. The incubation period was forty-one to fortyeight days. Pair-bonding and attachment to nest site are common. The nesting season extended from October to June but was concentrated mostly in December, January and February. Mortality was high in all seasons during the study. Food of the birds was noted from regurgitated material.