Effects of subcutaneous transmitter implants on behavior, growth, energetics, and survival of Common Loon chicks

Kenow, Kevin P.; Meyer, Michael W.; Fournier, François; Karasov, William H.; Elfessi, Abdulaziz; Gutreuter, Steve

doi:10.1648/0273-8570-74.2.179

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Survival rates apparently were similar for chicks with implanted and sutured transmitters 28 days after chicks were marked (Larson 1998, Larson et al 2001). In addition, Kenow et al (2003) suggested that the response of chicks to comparable transmitters and attachment techniques might be species-specific. We found no difference in survival probabilities between small and large transmitters, which was consistent with results reported by Burkepile et al (2002) for radiomarked sage-grouse chicks in Idaho.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…In addition, small transmitters were easier to implant and required less time to implant than large transmitters. Kenow et al (2003) also reported greater retention rates for small (0.76 g) compared to large (1.5 g) implanted transmitters in common loon (Gavia immer) chicks. Overall, loss of implanted transmitters during our study was comparable to loss of transmitters implanted in captive ring-necked pheasant chicks (Ewing et al 1994) and transmitters sutured on free-ranging sage-grouse chicks (Burkepile et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of Implanted Radiotransmitters to Estimate Survival of Greater Sage‐Grouse Chicks

2007

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Reduced chick survival has been implicated in declines of greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations. Because monitoring survival of unmarked sage‐grouse chicks is difficult, radiotelemetry may be an effective technique to estimate survival rates, identify causes of mortality, and collect ecological data. Previous studies have used subcutaneous implants to attach radiotransmitters to hatchlings of several species of birds with precocial young. Previous researchers who used subcutaneous implants in free‐ranging populations removed chicks from the capture location and implanted transmitters at an alternate site. Because logistics precluded removing newly hatched greater sage‐grouse chicks from the field, we evaluated a method for implanting transmitters at capture locations. We captured 288 chicks from 52 broods and monitored 286 radiomarked chicks daily for 28 days following capture during May and June 2001–2002. Two (>1%) chicks died during surgery and we did not radiomark them. At the end of the monitoring period, 26 chicks were alive and 212 were dead. Most (98%, 207/212) radiomarked chick mortality occurred < 21 days posthatch and predation (82%, 174/212) was the primary cause of death. Necropsies of 22 radiomarked chicks did not indicate inflammation or infection from implants, and they were not implicated in the death of any chicks. Fate of 48 chicks was unknown because of transmitter loss (n = 16), radio failure (n = 29), and brood mixing (n = 3). Overall, the 28‐day chick survival rate was 0.220 (SE = 0.028). We found that mortalities related to the implant procedure and transmitter loss were similar to rates reported by previous researchers who removed chicks from capture sites and implanted transmitters at an alternate location. Subcutaneous implants may be a useful method for attaching transmitters to newly hatched sage‐grouse chicks to estimate survival rates, identify causes of mortality, and collect ecological data.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Implanted Radiotransmitters to Estimate Survival of Greater Sage‐Grouse Chicks

2007

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“…Histopathological evaluation included bursa, thymus, liver, spleen, adrenal gland, thyroid, gonad, pancreas, muscle, spinal cord, brachial nerve, sciatic nerve, brain, lung, and kidney. Most hatched chicks were marked with a numbered web tag and returned to their natal nests following procedures described in Kenow et al (2003b).…”

Section: Assessment Of Chick Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of injected methylmercury on the hatching of common loon (Gavia immer) eggs

et al. 2011

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To determine the level of in ovo methylmercury (MeHg) exposure that results in detrimental effects on fitness and survival of loon embryos and hatched chicks, we conducted a field study in which we injected eggs with various doses of MeHg on day 4 of incubation. Eggs were collected following about 23 days of natural incubation and artificially incubated to observe hatching. Reduced embryo survival was evident in eggs injected at a rate of ≥1.3 μg Hg/g wet-mass. When maternally deposited Hg and injected Hg were considered together, the median lethal concentration of Hg (LC(50)) was estimated to be 1.78 μg Hg/g wet-mass. Organ mass patterns from eggs of chicks injected at a rate of 2.9 μg Hg/g differed from that of controls and chicks from the 0.5 μg Hg/g treatment, largely related to a negative relation between yolk sac mass and egg mercury concentration. Chicks from eggs in the 2.9 μg Hg/g treatment were also less responsive to a frightening stimulus than controls and chicks from the 0.5 μg Hg/g treatment. We also found that the length of incubation period increased with increasing egg mercury concentration. Tissue Hg concentrations were strongly associated (r(2) ≥ 0.80) with egg Hg concentration.

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“…Alternately, or in addition, changes in population growth may indicate the increasing influence of density-dependent factors as loon populations recovered from lows in the mid 1990s. This explanation would be consistent with the frequent aggressive encounters 1 E-mail: grear.jason@epa.gov between territory holders and nonbreeding adult floaters; some of which result in injury or death to adults or chicks (Piper et al 2000(Piper et al , 2006Kenow et al 2003). The habitat limitation that this behavior suggests could have strong effects on responses of loon populations to human stressors.…”

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confidence: 71%

Population Growth and Demography of Common Loons in the Northern United States

et al. 2009

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We used recent developments in theoretical population ecology to construct basic models of common loon (Gavia immer) demography and population dynamics. We parameterized these models using existing survival estimates and data from long‐term monitoring of loon productivity and abundance. Our models include deterministic, 2‐stage, density‐independent matrix models, yielding population growth‐rate estimates (λ) of 0.99 and 1.01 for intensively studied populations in our Wisconsin, USA, and New Hampshire, USA, study areas, respectively. Perturbation analysis of these models indicated that estimated growth rate is extremely sensitive to adult survival, as expected for this long‐lived species. Also, we examined 20 years of count data for the 2 areas and evaluated support for a set of count‐based models of population growth. We detected no temporal trend in Wisconsin, which would be consistent with fluctuation around an average equilibrium state but could also result from data limitations. For New Hampshire, the model set included varying formulations of density dependence and partitioning of stochasticity that were enabled by the annual sampling resolution. The best model for New Hampshire included density regulation of population growth and, along with the demographic analyses for both areas, provided insight into the possible importance of breeding habitat availability and the abundance of nonbreeding adults. Based on these results, we recommend that conservation organizations include nonbreeder abundance in common loon monitoring efforts and that additional emphasis be placed on identifying and managing human influences on adult loon survival.

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Effects of subcutaneous transmitter implants on behavior, growth, energetics, and survival of Common Loon chicks

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Use of Implanted Radiotransmitters to Estimate Survival of Greater Sage‐Grouse Chicks

Use of Implanted Radiotransmitters to Estimate Survival of Greater Sage‐Grouse Chicks

Effects of injected methylmercury on the hatching of common loon (Gavia immer) eggs

Population Growth and Demography of Common Loons in the Northern United States

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