Supplementary material from "Small tube-nosed seabirds fledge on the full moon and throughout the lunar cycle" ...

• Main Authors: Collins, Sydney M., Hedd, April, Montevecchi, William A., Burt, Tori V., Wilson, David R., Fifield, David A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: The Royal Society 2023
• Subjects: Ecology not elsewhere classified; Animal behaviour; Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified; Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6956576.v1; https://rs.figshare.com/collections/Supplementary_material_from_Small_tube-nosed_seabirds_fledge_on_the_full_moon_and_throughout_the_lunar_cycle_/6956576/1

Many seabirds are attracted to anthropogenic light, and the risk is greater for recent fledglings. Moon phase predicts the probability of stranding (fewer birds strand on the full moon), but it remains uncertain whether moon phase is associated with when young seabirds fledge. Fledging behaviour of nocturnal, burrowing seabirds can be difficult to monitor using traditional methods but can provide insight into environmental factors that influence the risk of stranding. We used passive integrated transponder tags to monitor the fledging dates and times of Leach's Storm-Petrel ( Hydrobates leucorhous ) chicks across four breeding seasons (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) at a major colony in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We also assessed whether moon phase and incident illumination related to fledging date and time. The median fledge time was 1.6 h after sunset (0.6–11.7 h). The median fledge date was 10 October, and fledging dates ranged from 13 September to 13 November. Most importantly, moon phase was not ...