Balancing under the high wire; a study into PTT antenna effects on the Common Guillemot Uria aalge

• Main Authors: Vandenabeele, Sylvie P, Shepard, Emily LC, Grogan, Adam, Thompson, Richard, Gleiss, Adrian C, Wilson, Rory P
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: PeerJ 2016
• Subjects: common guillemot; Uria aalge; uria
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.2035; https://peerj.com/preprints/2035.pdf; https://peerj.com/preprints/2035.xml; https://peerj.com/preprints/2035.html

External tags fitted to diving birds can affect them in many ways with the most critical effect being an increase in drag. The effects of transmitters can be even more acute due to the presence of a protruding aerial. The study assesses the impact of PTT antenna on the behaviour and energetics of device-equipped guillemots ( Uria aalge ) in captivity. Birds with antenna-devices appeared to consume about 20% more energy than non-antenna birds during the descent phase of the dive. The balance of the birds while diving or resting on the water also appeared to be compromised by the presence of an antenna. Based on these first results and because transmitters are one of the most common methods used to track animals, it appears critical to determine what impact these devices, and particularly antenna, can have on their bearers and try minimize it.