Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua

Telemetry has become an important method for studying the biology and ecology of animals. However, the impact of tracking devices and their method of attachment on different species across multiple temporal scales has seldom been assessed. We compared the behavioural and demographic responses of two...

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Published in:Ibis
Main Authors: Thaxter, Chris B., Ross-smith, Viola H., Clark, Jacquie A., Clark, Nigel A., Conway, Greg J., Masden, Elizabeth, Wade, Helen M., Leat, Eliza H.K., Gear, Sheila C., Marsh, Mike, Booth, Chris, Furness, Robert W., Votier, Steve C., Burton, Niall H.K.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/3bb937ad-1463-404a-b1b6-b7f895b65c88
https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340
https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/1951669/Thaxter_et_al_Ibis.pdf
http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ibi.12340
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spelling ftuhipublicatio:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/3bb937ad-1463-404a-b1b6-b7f895b65c88 2024-09-15T18:08:13+00:00 Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua Thaxter, Chris B. Ross-smith, Viola H. Clark, Jacquie A. Clark, Nigel A. Conway, Greg J. Masden, Elizabeth Wade, Helen M. Leat, Eliza H.K. Gear, Sheila C. Marsh, Mike Booth, Chris Furness, Robert W. Votier, Steve C. Burton, Niall H.K. 2016-01-09 application/pdf https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/3bb937ad-1463-404a-b1b6-b7f895b65c88 https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/1951669/Thaxter_et_al_Ibis.pdf http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ibi.12340 eng eng https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/3bb937ad-1463-404a-b1b6-b7f895b65c88 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Thaxter , C B , Ross-smith , V H , Clark , J A , Clark , N A , Conway , G J , Masden , E , Wade , H M , Leat , E H K , Gear , S C , Marsh , M , Booth , C , Furness , R W , Votier , S C & Burton , N H K 2016 , ' Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua ' , IBIS , vol. 158 , no. 2 , pp. 279-290 . https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340 article 2016 ftuhipublicatio https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340 2024-07-01T23:38:33Z Telemetry has become an important method for studying the biology and ecology of animals. However, the impact of tracking devices and their method of attachment on different species across multiple temporal scales has seldom been assessed. We compared the behavioural and demographic responses of two species of seabird, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus and Great Skua Stercorarius skua, to a GPS device attached using a crossover wing harness. We used telemetry information and monitoring of breeding colonies to compare birds equipped with a device and harness, and control birds without an attachment. We assessed whether tagged birds have lower short-term breeding productivity or lower longer term overwinter return rates (indicative of overwinter survival) than controls. For Great Skua, we also assessed whether territory attendance within the breeding season differed between tagged and control birds. As with previous studies on Lesser Black-backed Gull, we found no short-term impacts on breeding productivity or long-term impacts on overwinter return rates. For Great Skua, there was no evidence for impacts of the device and harness on territory attendance or breeding productivity. However, as found by a previous study of Great Skuas using a different (body) harness design, there was strong evidence of reduced overwinter return rates. Consequently, a device attached using a wing harness was considered suitable for long-term deployment on Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but not on Great Skuas. These findings will inform the planning of future tracking studies. Article in Journal/Newspaper Great skua Lesser black-backed gull Stercorarius skua University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI Ibis 158 2 279 290
institution Open Polar
collection University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI
op_collection_id ftuhipublicatio
language English
description Telemetry has become an important method for studying the biology and ecology of animals. However, the impact of tracking devices and their method of attachment on different species across multiple temporal scales has seldom been assessed. We compared the behavioural and demographic responses of two species of seabird, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus and Great Skua Stercorarius skua, to a GPS device attached using a crossover wing harness. We used telemetry information and monitoring of breeding colonies to compare birds equipped with a device and harness, and control birds without an attachment. We assessed whether tagged birds have lower short-term breeding productivity or lower longer term overwinter return rates (indicative of overwinter survival) than controls. For Great Skua, we also assessed whether territory attendance within the breeding season differed between tagged and control birds. As with previous studies on Lesser Black-backed Gull, we found no short-term impacts on breeding productivity or long-term impacts on overwinter return rates. For Great Skua, there was no evidence for impacts of the device and harness on territory attendance or breeding productivity. However, as found by a previous study of Great Skuas using a different (body) harness design, there was strong evidence of reduced overwinter return rates. Consequently, a device attached using a wing harness was considered suitable for long-term deployment on Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but not on Great Skuas. These findings will inform the planning of future tracking studies.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Thaxter, Chris B.
Ross-smith, Viola H.
Clark, Jacquie A.
Clark, Nigel A.
Conway, Greg J.
Masden, Elizabeth
Wade, Helen M.
Leat, Eliza H.K.
Gear, Sheila C.
Marsh, Mike
Booth, Chris
Furness, Robert W.
Votier, Steve C.
Burton, Niall H.K.
spellingShingle Thaxter, Chris B.
Ross-smith, Viola H.
Clark, Jacquie A.
Clark, Nigel A.
Conway, Greg J.
Masden, Elizabeth
Wade, Helen M.
Leat, Eliza H.K.
Gear, Sheila C.
Marsh, Mike
Booth, Chris
Furness, Robert W.
Votier, Steve C.
Burton, Niall H.K.
Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
author_facet Thaxter, Chris B.
Ross-smith, Viola H.
Clark, Jacquie A.
Clark, Nigel A.
Conway, Greg J.
Masden, Elizabeth
Wade, Helen M.
Leat, Eliza H.K.
Gear, Sheila C.
Marsh, Mike
Booth, Chris
Furness, Robert W.
Votier, Steve C.
Burton, Niall H.K.
author_sort Thaxter, Chris B.
title Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
title_short Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
title_full Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
title_fullStr Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
title_full_unstemmed Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
title_sort contrasting effects of gps device and harness attachment on adult survival of lesser black-backed gulls larus fuscus and great skuas stercorarius skua
publishDate 2016
url https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/3bb937ad-1463-404a-b1b6-b7f895b65c88
https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340
https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/1951669/Thaxter_et_al_Ibis.pdf
http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ibi.12340
genre Great skua
Lesser black-backed gull
Stercorarius skua
genre_facet Great skua
Lesser black-backed gull
Stercorarius skua
op_source Thaxter , C B , Ross-smith , V H , Clark , J A , Clark , N A , Conway , G J , Masden , E , Wade , H M , Leat , E H K , Gear , S C , Marsh , M , Booth , C , Furness , R W , Votier , S C & Burton , N H K 2016 , ' Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua ' , IBIS , vol. 158 , no. 2 , pp. 279-290 . https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340
op_relation https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/3bb937ad-1463-404a-b1b6-b7f895b65c88
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12340
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