Determining the sex of Little Penguins (<i>Eudyptula minor</i>) in northern Bass Strait using morphometric measurements

Arnould, John P. Y.; Dann, Peter; Cullen, J. M.

doi:10.1071/mu04035

Cited by 51 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Morphometry of yelkouan shearwaters is likely to vary geographically as this species is distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin. Applicability to populations other than the one from which the function was performed must be tested and the performance of a discriminant function for the entire breeding range of this species may be necessary (Van Franeker and Ter Braak 1993;Bertelloti et al 2002;Arnould et al 2004). …”

Section: Sex Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological versus acoustic analysis: what is the most efficient method for sexing yelkouan shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan?

et al. 2007

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Sexing monomorphic seabirds is particularly difficult, and available methods have various disadvantages, such as seasonal non-applicability or stress induction. The yelkouan shearwater Puffinus yelkouan is a poorly studied seabird endemic to the Mediterranean basin. Ecological and biological data are needed for this species, thus necessitating the development of appropriate field methods. Here, we tested two methods for sexing yelkouan shearwaters: the classical morphological method and a new acoustic method. Morphological analysis demonstrated sexual differences in head, leg and feather measurements, with a high degree of overlap resulting in only 87.2% accuracy. In contrast, acoustic analysis showed that the highest value of the fundamental frequency (FC) and duration of the clear note of calls did not overlap between males and females. Yelkouan shearwaters can be sexed with 100% accuracy by measuring FC. If FC < 678.4 Hz, the bird is female, while if FC > 678.4 Hz, the bird is male. Other advantages of this method are its simplicity and noninvasiveness, which are particularly important for a potentially threatened species.

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Section: Sex Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphological versus acoustic analysis: what is the most efficient method for sexing yelkouan shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan?

et al. 2007

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“…All nesting adults were tagged mostly as chicks (or as adults in few cases) using passive transponder tags (Allflex, Capalaba, Australia), which were then implanted subcutaneously between the scapulae. Birds were later sexed by bill measurements (Arnould et al 2004), when first found in the colony as adults in subsequent years.…”

Section: Monitoring and Field Protocolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity in foraging strategies of inshore birds: how Little Penguins maintain body reserves while feeding offspring

Saraux

Robinson-Laverick

Maho

et al. 2011

Ecology

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Abstract. Breeding animals face important time and energy constraints when caring for themselves and their offspring. For long-lived species, life-history theory predicts that parents should favor survival over current reproductive attempts, thus investing more into their own maintenance than the provisioning of their young. In seabirds, provisioning strategies may additionally be influenced by the distance between breeding sites and foraging areas, and offshore and inshore species should thus exhibit different strategies. Here, we examine the provisioning strategies of an inshore seabird using a long-term data set on more than 200 Little Penguins, Eudyptula minor. They alternated between two consecutive long and several short foraging trips all along chick rearing, a strategy almost never observed for inshore animals. Short trips allowed for regular provisioning of the chicks (high feeding frequency and larger meals), whereas long trips were performed when parent body mass was low and enabled them to rebuild their reserves, suggesting that adult body condition may be a key factor in initiating long trips. Inshore seabirds do use dual strategies of alternating short and long trips, but from our data, on a simpler and less flexible way than for offshore birds.

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“…Individuals were captured in their burrows during daylight hours and weighed in a cloth bag on a spring scale (± 0.05 kg), sexed by bill depth (Arnould et al 2004) and their breeding status recorded. Identification of individuals was achieved through passive induction transponders (PIT tag, 11 × 1.5 mm, Trovan) injected subcutaneously posterior to the scapula at first capture.…”

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both instruments had a cross-sectional surface area < 5% of the total body cross-sectional surface area of the individuals and, hence, would have had a minimal impact on foraging behaviour (Wilson et al 1986). Individuals were captured in their burrows during daylight hours and weighed in a cloth bag on a spring scale (± 0.05 kg), sexed by bill depth (Arnould et al 2004) and their breeding status recorded. Identification of individuals was achieved through passive induction transponders (PIT tag, 11 × 1.5 mm, Trovan) injected subcutaneously posterior to the scapula at first capture.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraging behaviour and habitat selection of the little penguin Eudyptula minor during early chick rearing in Bass Strait, Australia

Hoskins¹,

Dann²,

Ropert‐Coudert³

et al. 2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Knowledge of the foraging areas of top marine predators and the factors influencing them is central to understanding how their populations respond to environmental variability. While there is a large body of literature documenting the association of air-breathing marine vertebrates with areas of high marine productivity, there is relatively little information for species restricted to near-shore or continental-shelf areas. Differences in foraging range and diving behaviour of the little penguin Eudyptula minor were examined from 3 breeding colonies (Rabbit Island, Kanowna Island and Phillip Island) in central northern Bass Strait, southeast Australia, during the chick-guard stage using electronic tags (platform terminal transmitters, PTTs, and time-depth recorders, TDRs). Although there were large overall differences between individuals, the mean maximum foraging range (16.9 to 19.8 km) and mean total distance travelled (41.8 to 48.0 km) were similar between the 3 colonies, despite different bathymetric environments. Individuals from all 3 colonies selected foraging habitats within a narrow sea surface temperature (SST) range (16.0 to 16.4°C). While there were significant differences in mean dive depths (5.4 to 10.9 m) and mean durations (13.2 to 28.6 s) between the different colonies, the mean diving effort (vertical distance travelled: 936.3 to 964.3 m h -1 ) was similar. These findings suggest little penguins from the 3 colonies employ relatively similar foraging efforts yet are plastic in their foraging behaviours.KEY WORDS: Compositional analysis · Diving · Coastal ecosystem · Nearshore habitats · Sea surface temperature · Seabird Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 366: [293][294][295][296][297][298][299][300][301][302][303] 2008 many predictable prey patches out of reach (Hunt et al. 1992). While distribution of marine predators relative to oceanographic features has received considerable attention (e.g. Ainley et al. 1998), the fine-scale habitat utilisation and behaviours associated with these features is still largely unknown (Costa & Sinervo 2004).While the foraging behaviours of many seabird species have been documented, most such studies have involved individuals from a single colony or, if at more than 1 site, several colonies in different years (e.g. Perriman et al. 2000). Until recently, relatively few studies have investigated inter-colony variability in foraging behaviour within a breeding season, removing the confounding effect of inter-annual variability in between-colonies comparisons (Peck & Congdon 2005, Wilson et al. 2005). Consequently, for many studies, it is not possible to determine whether the behaviours observed are colony-specific, due to inter-annual variability, or reflect those of the species in general.At the lower end of the size range of marine endotherms, the little penguin Eudyptula minor offers unique insight into the constraints faced by marine predators. This penguin breeds on offshore islands from ...

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Determining the sex of Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) in northern Bass Strait using morphometric measurements

Cited by 51 publications

References 8 publications

Morphological versus acoustic analysis: what is the most efficient method for sexing yelkouan shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan?

Morphological versus acoustic analysis: what is the most efficient method for sexing yelkouan shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan?

Plasticity in foraging strategies of inshore birds: how Little Penguins maintain body reserves while feeding offspring

Foraging behaviour and habitat selection of the little penguin Eudyptula minor during early chick rearing in Bass Strait, Australia

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