Abstract
Satellite telemetry has become a common technique to investigate avian life-histories, but whether such tagging will affect fitness is a critical unknown. In this study, we evaluate multi-year effects of implanted transmitters on migratory timing and reproductive performance in shorebirds. Shorebirds increasingly are recognized as good models in ecology and evolution. That many of them are of conservation concern adds to the research responsibilities. In May 2009, we captured 56 female Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa limosa during late incubation in The Netherlands. Of these, 15 birds were equipped with 26-g satellite transmitters with a percutaneous antenna (7.8 % ± 0.2 SD of body mass), surgically implanted in the coelom. We compared immediate nest survival, timing of migration, subsequent nest site fidelity and reproductive behaviour including egg laying with those of the remaining birds, a comparison group of 41 females. We found no effects on immediate nest survival. Fledging success and subsequent southward and northward migration patterns of the implanted birds conformed to the expectations, and arrival time on the breeding grounds in 2010–2012 did not differ from the comparison group. Compared with the comparison group, in the year after implantation, implanted birds were equally faithful to the nest site and showed equal territorial behaviour, but a paucity of behaviours indicating nests or clutches. In the 3 years after implantation, the yearly apparent survival of implanted birds was 16 % points lower. Despite intense searching, we found only three eggs of two implanted birds; all were deformed. A similarly deformed egg was reported in a similarly implanted Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus returning to breed in central Alaska. The presence in the body cavity of an object slightly smaller than a normal egg may thus lead to egg malformation and, likely, reduced egg viability. That the use of implanted satellite transmitters in these large shorebirds reduced nesting propensity and might also lead to fertility losses argues against the use of implanted transmitters for studies on breeding biology, and for a careful evaluation of the methodology in studies of migration.
Zusammenfassung
Im Bauch implantierte Satellitensender beeinträchtigen bei großen Watvögeln eher Reproduktion und Überlebensfähigkeit als den Zug
Satellitentelemetrie hat sich zu einer gängigen Methode bei der Erforschung der Biologie von Vögeln entwickelt; ob allerdings eine solche Markierung die Fitness beeinträchtigt, ist ein kritischer unbekannter Faktor. In dieser Studie werteten wir die jahresübergreifenden Effekte implantierter Sender auf den zeitlichen Ablauf des Zuggeschehens und den Reproduktionserfolg bei Watvögeln aus. Watvögel werden zunehmend als geeignete Modelle für Ökologie und Evolution erkannt. Dass viele von ihnen schutzbedürftig sind, erhöht noch den Forschungsbedarf. Im Mai 2009 fingen wir in den Niederlanden 56 weibliche Uferschnepfen Limosa limosa limosa zu einem Zeitpunkt gegen Ende der Bebrütungsphase. Von diesen wurden 15 Vögel mit 26 g-Satellitensendern (7.8 % ± 0.2 SD der Körpermasse) mit einer perkutanen Antenne ausgestattet, welche operativ in die Leibeshöhle eingesetzt wurden. Wir verglichen die unmittelbare Nestüberlebensrate, den zeitlichen Ablauf des Zuggeschehens, die anschließende Brutorttreue sowie das Reproduktionsverhalten einschließlich der Eiablage mit denen der übrigen Vögel, einer Vergleichsgruppe aus 41 Weibchen. Wir konnten keinen Einfluss auf die unmittelbare Nestüberlebensrate feststellen. Der Ausfliegeerfolg und die anschließenden nach Süden beziehungsweise Norden gerichteten Zugmuster der implantierten Vögel entsprachen den Erwartungen, und die Ankunftszeit in den Brutgebieten in den Jahren 2010–2012 unterschied sich nicht von der Vergleichsgruppe. Gegenüber der Kontrollgruppe waren die implantierten Vögel im auf die Implantation folgenden Jahr genauso brutorttreu und zeigten vergleichbares Revierverhalten, dagegen aber kaum Verhaltensweisen, die auf Nester oder Gelege hindeuteten. In den drei auf die Implantation folgenden Jahren lag die scheinbare jährliche Überlebensrate von Vögeln mit Implantaten um 16 % niedriger. Trotz intensiver Suche fanden wir nur drei Eier von zwei implantierten Vögeln; diese waren alle missgebildet. Ein in ähnlicher Weise deformiertes Ei ist von einem Regenbrachvogel Numenius phaeopus mit einem vergleichbaren Implantat nach seiner Rückkehr ins Brutgebiet in Zentralalaska bekannt. So kann die Anwesenheit eines Objektes in der Leibeshöhle, welches etwas kleiner als ein normales Ei ist, zu Eimissbildungen und wahrscheinlich auch zu einer verringerten Lebensfähigkeit der Eier führen. Dass die Verwendung implantierter Satellitensender bei diesen großen Watvögeln die Nistbereitschaft reduziert und außerdem zu Fruchtbarkeitsausfällen führen könnte, spricht gegen die Verwendung implantierter Sender bei Studien zur Brutbiologie und für eine sorgfältige Prüfung der Methodik bei der Zugforschung.
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Acknowledgments
For help in the field we thank the 2009–2012 “grutto” dream-teams comprised of N. Groen, K. Trimbos, P. Lourenço, Y. Galama, P. de Goeij, A. Rippen, R. van der Zee, E.-H. Mohamed El-Hacen, W. Vos, L. Schmaltz, K. Bowgen, S. Wouda, M. Verhoeven, C. Kuipers, M. Bulla, B. Verheijen, C. Poley, M. Sikkema, A. Allema, B. de Jong, H. Valkema, E. van der Velde, S. Kooistra, B. van den Boomgaard, R.-J. Hibma, S. Hobma, G. Hoekstra, and N. Bot. G. Hylkema kindly allowed his campervan “Pylger” to be turned into a mobile surgery unit. We thank the conservation authorities It Fryske Gea and Staatsbosbeheer and the local farmers for their co-operation and for allowing access to their grounds. The assistance of local volunteers in nest searching and reporting locations to us has been invaluable. Birdlife Netherlands made arrangements for daily and weekly updates about the project on their website. This work was financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality, the Province of Fryslân, and the coalition Nederland-Gruttoland. We thank Dan Ruthrauff, Phil Battley and anonymous reviewers for help with the manuscript, and Bram Verheijen and Astrid Kant for the egg-photos. Any use of trade names or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the authors’ institutional affiliation.
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Hooijmeijer, J.C.E.W., Gill, R.E., Mulcahy, D.M. et al. Abdominally implanted satellite transmitters affect reproduction and survival rather than migration of large shorebirds. J Ornithol 155, 447–457 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-1026-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-1026-4