Personality, parental care and reproductive success of arctic black-legged kittiwakes in a changing climate
1 Purpose
The purpose of this project is to investigate personality, parental care and breeding success under rapidly changing environmental conditions in Arctic black-legged kittiwakes. This will be achieved by examining:
• how individual differences between birds (personality) affect their parental care strategy and their response to environmental change
• if these parental care strategies impact offspring development and survival
• if parents of varying personalities differ in their reproductive success and the development of their offspring, and if this is impacted by environmental conditions
We also aim to conduct an initial investigation into the use of buccal sampling for obtaining DNA samples, with a view to eventually replacing blood sampling with a less invasive technique.
2 Distress
The methods used to collect these data are likely to cause mild distress to the birds. 160 adult birds per year will be captured and blood, buccal and cloacal sampled. 160 chicks per year will also be handled to collect blood samples. 50 of the adults will be tagged each year with very light VHF tags for 8 weeks. These tags will either be removed or fall off naturally. All adults will undergo novel object testing for personality which does not involve capture.
3 Expected benefit
By establishing the degree to which obligate parental care and personality may prohibit adaptation to varying environmental conditions, we can assess if long-lived seabirds are more vulnerable to climate change than currently predicted. This project will help to establish how different factors (e.g. personality, coordinated care) impact kittiwake breeding success. This has both academic and conservation value. Kittiwakes are in decline and exhibit variable reproductive performance and so this project could inform strategies to counteract localised decline.
4 Number of animals, and what kind
In total, 320 black-legged kittiwakes per year will be included (160 adults and 160 chicks) and the experiment will last two years.
5 How to adhere to 3R
Replacement is not achievable (a field experiment is essential), however the number of animals has been reduced to a minimum and all birds included in this experiment are the same as the ones included in a long-term monitoring program (ie. no additional bird will be captured and handled for this experiment). 160 adults for buccal, blood, cloacal and personality sampling is the smallest sample size which would allow comparison between groups of different personality types. Only 50 adults will be VHF tagged to reduce the number included in this intervention. This sample size also accounts for possible tag loss or malfunction. For refinement, we are using some of the lightest tags available and attachment will be time limited. Capture will be brief (~10 minutes per bird) and where possible, less invasive techniques have been chosen, including the trial of buccal sampling so that it might replace blood sampling in the future.
The purpose of this project is to investigate personality, parental care and breeding success under rapidly changing environmental conditions in Arctic black-legged kittiwakes. This will be achieved by examining:
• how individual differences between birds (personality) affect their parental care strategy and their response to environmental change
• if these parental care strategies impact offspring development and survival
• if parents of varying personalities differ in their reproductive success and the development of their offspring, and if this is impacted by environmental conditions
We also aim to conduct an initial investigation into the use of buccal sampling for obtaining DNA samples, with a view to eventually replacing blood sampling with a less invasive technique.
2 Distress
The methods used to collect these data are likely to cause mild distress to the birds. 160 adult birds per year will be captured and blood, buccal and cloacal sampled. 160 chicks per year will also be handled to collect blood samples. 50 of the adults will be tagged each year with very light VHF tags for 8 weeks. These tags will either be removed or fall off naturally. All adults will undergo novel object testing for personality which does not involve capture.
3 Expected benefit
By establishing the degree to which obligate parental care and personality may prohibit adaptation to varying environmental conditions, we can assess if long-lived seabirds are more vulnerable to climate change than currently predicted. This project will help to establish how different factors (e.g. personality, coordinated care) impact kittiwake breeding success. This has both academic and conservation value. Kittiwakes are in decline and exhibit variable reproductive performance and so this project could inform strategies to counteract localised decline.
4 Number of animals, and what kind
In total, 320 black-legged kittiwakes per year will be included (160 adults and 160 chicks) and the experiment will last two years.
5 How to adhere to 3R
Replacement is not achievable (a field experiment is essential), however the number of animals has been reduced to a minimum and all birds included in this experiment are the same as the ones included in a long-term monitoring program (ie. no additional bird will be captured and handled for this experiment). 160 adults for buccal, blood, cloacal and personality sampling is the smallest sample size which would allow comparison between groups of different personality types. Only 50 adults will be VHF tagged to reduce the number included in this intervention. This sample size also accounts for possible tag loss or malfunction. For refinement, we are using some of the lightest tags available and attachment will be time limited. Capture will be brief (~10 minutes per bird) and where possible, less invasive techniques have been chosen, including the trial of buccal sampling so that it might replace blood sampling in the future.