Parental performance of little auks in the ongoing climate changes
We are going to study breeding ecology of the little auk, a keystone seabird of the Arctic ecosystem (RIS-11468). We will perform the study in Hornsund (Svlabard), where we have established long-term research on the species. Examining various parameters in three consecutive seasons we will compare collected data with analogical series from the past (2001-2020). We will collect various samples focusing on 350 individuals in total. All this research, will allow us to evaluate the effect of ongoing climate changes on the breeding performance of the species, and so, to predict future changes in the birds population. Additionally, we will examine in detail the inter-individual differences between breeders in various parameters (physiological stress response, overall behaviour, parental performance, parent-offspring recognition, foraging areas). This behavioural and physiological variability in birds performance is not only crucial to reliably perform prognosis for demography of the population but it is also impornant to undestand various ecological and evolutionary mechanisms behind reproduction of seabirds.
We will study following parameters: phenology, overall breeding success, frequency of mating behaviours, frequency and duration of incubation bouts, number of chick feedings and duration of foraging trips, location of foraging grounds, chick diet, adults and chick body condition, hormonal and behavioural stress response of adults, neophobia of adults, and parents-offspring recognition, including chick begging behaviour.
Data collection requires activities that are:
a) of minimum disturbance - no pain; i.e. negligible disturbance at the moment of setting the equipment audio- and video-recording of birds colony attendance, behaviour and voice activity, and at the moment of systematic nest controls; feaces collection (collection of feaces, spontanously released during the handling procedure);
b) of minimum discomfort - no pain; i.e. a standard birds handling (body measurements, taking photos, ringing), temporal restraint (10 min) for behavioural tests, temporal changes in the nest area (for behavioural test), collecting food samples (from gular pouch), attachment of GPS and accelerometer loggers (5 min of handling, and 2-5 days burden with 2 g logger); temporal chicks exchange (2 x 24 hours) among the focal nests.
c) mild discomfort - blood sampling (little pain; to establish birds nutritional state, and hormonal balance).
Replacement: It is impossible to obtain the data without studying the species in the wild, in its natural
conditions.
Reduction: We reduced the number of sampled individuals at each parameter to the minimum required by scientific purposes. We also analyze various aspects of breeding ecology of the little auk using the same individuals/data. (e.g. birds response to oceanographic conditions in the number of feeding, inter-individual differences in parents coordination of chick provisioning).
Refinement: We will handle the birds firm and quickly (we are all appropriately trainted and experienced field-workers), and will release them in the place of the capture, immediately after procedure (max 10 min. of handling). For blood sampling, we will use sterile disposable equipment, and we will take a minimal amount of blood, which is safe for the birds. After all the handling we will put the birds back into the nests.
We will study following parameters: phenology, overall breeding success, frequency of mating behaviours, frequency and duration of incubation bouts, number of chick feedings and duration of foraging trips, location of foraging grounds, chick diet, adults and chick body condition, hormonal and behavioural stress response of adults, neophobia of adults, and parents-offspring recognition, including chick begging behaviour.
Data collection requires activities that are:
a) of minimum disturbance - no pain; i.e. negligible disturbance at the moment of setting the equipment audio- and video-recording of birds colony attendance, behaviour and voice activity, and at the moment of systematic nest controls; feaces collection (collection of feaces, spontanously released during the handling procedure);
b) of minimum discomfort - no pain; i.e. a standard birds handling (body measurements, taking photos, ringing), temporal restraint (10 min) for behavioural tests, temporal changes in the nest area (for behavioural test), collecting food samples (from gular pouch), attachment of GPS and accelerometer loggers (5 min of handling, and 2-5 days burden with 2 g logger); temporal chicks exchange (2 x 24 hours) among the focal nests.
c) mild discomfort - blood sampling (little pain; to establish birds nutritional state, and hormonal balance).
Replacement: It is impossible to obtain the data without studying the species in the wild, in its natural
conditions.
Reduction: We reduced the number of sampled individuals at each parameter to the minimum required by scientific purposes. We also analyze various aspects of breeding ecology of the little auk using the same individuals/data. (e.g. birds response to oceanographic conditions in the number of feeding, inter-individual differences in parents coordination of chick provisioning).
Refinement: We will handle the birds firm and quickly (we are all appropriately trainted and experienced field-workers), and will release them in the place of the capture, immediately after procedure (max 10 min. of handling). For blood sampling, we will use sterile disposable equipment, and we will take a minimal amount of blood, which is safe for the birds. After all the handling we will put the birds back into the nests.