Is seabird light‐induced mortality explained by the visual system development?

Atchoi, Elizabeth; Mitkus, Mindaugas; Rodríguez, Airam

doi:10.1111/csp2.195

Cited by 23 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Around 10% of birds collected in the campaigns die before release back to the wild, although light-induced mortality could be higher as laypeople do not usually report dead birds, thus 40% is possibly a more accurate estimate (Podolskyi et al, 1998;Ainley et al, 2001;Rodríguez et al, 2014). Why petrels become disorientated by lights is far from being fully understood (Atchoi et al, 2020). The majority of our knowledge about the fallout comes from observational data from rescue campaigns and mainly consists of the reporting of species identification, individual numbers, dates, and locations (Rodríguez et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Flights to Investigate Seabird Mortality Induced by Artificial Lights

Rodríguez

Rodríguez²,

Acosta

et al. 2022

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Light pollution causes attraction and/or disorientation of seabirds, leading to mortality events due to multiple threats. This is a poorly understood phenomenon, largely because of the challenge to track seabirds at night from their nests to the grounding light-polluted locations. New tracking technologies can inform about this phenomenon. Here, we used GPS transmitters with remote download to track the flights of Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis fledglings from an inland experimental releasing site to the ocean. We released birds assigned to three experimental groups: GPS tagged, tape-labelled, and control birds. We assessed how both intrinsic (such as body mass, body condition, body size, and down abundance) and extrinsic (i.e., flight descriptors, such as distance, straightness, and flight duration, wind speed, or moon luminance) factors influenced light-induced groundings by using two datasets: one including the three groups and another including just the GPS tagged birds (as GPS devices provide unique information). We tested whether the probability of being grounded by artificial lights was related to intrinsic factors. With the use of the whole dataset, we found that birds with a higher down abundance had a higher probability of being grounded. GPS data revealed that the probability of being grounded was positively related to the tortuosity of flights and the overflown light pollution levels. Also, birds with slower flights were more likely to be grounded than birds with fast flights. Tortuosity increased with light pollution levels but decreased with the ambient light of the moon. GPSs with remote data download provided information on birds reaching the ocean, this being a substantial improvement to previous studies requiring recapture of the individuals to retrieve the data. GPS tracks of birds reaching the ocean allowed us to know that some birds overflew coastal urban areas so light-polluted as the landing sites of grounded birds. We provide novel scientific-based information to manage seabird mortality induced by artificial lights.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Flights to Investigate Seabird Mortality Induced by Artificial Lights

Rodríguez

Rodríguez²,

Acosta

et al. 2022

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…This difference could potentially be caused by differences in the developmental stage of the birds’ eyes. It has been suggested that the eyes of young burrow-nesting seabirds, as well as hatchling marine sea turtles, are not fully developed upon leaving the nest, thus possibly resulting in attraction towards light 53 , 54 . Avoidance of light may develop later over the animals’ lifetime and as their eyes finish development, but the mechanisms underlying this remain unclear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avoidance of different durations, colours and intensities of artificial light by adult seabirds

Syposz

Padget

Willis

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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There is increasing evidence for impacts of light pollution on the physiology and behaviour of wild animals. Nocturnally active Procellariiform seabirds are often found grounded in areas polluted by light and struggle to take to the air again without human intervention. Hence, understanding their responses to different wavelengths and intensities of light is urgently needed to inform mitigation measures. Here, we demonstrate how different light characteristics can affect the nocturnal flight of Manx shearwaters Puffinus puffinus by experimentally introducing lights at a colony subject to low levels of light pollution due to passing ships and coastal developments. The density of birds in flight above the colony was measured using a thermal imaging camera. We compared number of flying shearwaters under dark conditions and in response to an artificially introduced light, and observed fewer birds in flight during ‘light-on’ periods, suggesting that adult shearwaters were repelled by the light. This effect was stronger with higher light intensity, increasing duration of ‘light-on’ periods and with green and blue compared to red light. Thus, we recommend lower light intensity, red colour, and shorter duration of ‘light-on’ periods as mitigation measures to reduce the effects of light at breeding colonies and in their vicinity.

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“…For example, adult seabirds may be more vulnerable to offshore ALAN during the courtship or chick‐rearing stage when seabirds visit their breeding colonies more regularly, compared to the incubation stage, when commuting is limited as birds are brooding eggs (Taylor et al, 2020). Fledging juveniles have been shown to be more vulnerable to offshore ALAN than adults (Atchoi et al, 2020; Rodríguez et al, 2014). Understanding inter‐annual patterns in dynamic threats such as offshore ALAN is equally important.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent offshore artificial light at night near the last breeding colony of a critically endangered seabird

Fischer

Debski

Taylor

et al. 2021

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Artificial light at night (ALAN) is considered a major threat to biodiversity, yet impacts of offshore ALAN on seabirds remain poorly understood. Particularly understudied are deck strikes (collisions of seabirds with vessels due to ALANinduced disorientation). To infer deck strike risks to the critically endangered Whenua Hou Diving-petrel (Pelecanoides whenuahouensis; WHDP), we estimated nightly vessel counts and associated probability of floodlight use in close proximity of their only breeding colony, number of WHDP commutes, duration of phenophases, and ultimately the cumulative exposure to floodlights using a Bayesian framework. The estimated nightly number of vessels was 0.76 (0.64-0.89), 31% (21%-38%) of which used floodlights. WHDPs were potentially exposed to 28.9 (19.7-39.7) floodlights per breeding period. There was no evidence for inter-annual variation in vessel counts, floodlight use, or WHDP activity, despite varying environmental conditions. WHDP activity, and therefore risk, was highest during courtship and post-guard. Yet, there was potential for deck strikes throughout the breeding period, which could impact WHDPs.We identify key research questions (likelihood of a deck strike occurring, survival of deck-struck birds, and post-release survival of deck-struck birds). In the meantime, small behavioral changes of vessel operators could be a successful approach to protecting seabirds from offshore ALAN. Tuhinga whakar apopotoKo te rama t awhai ite p o (ALAN) he mea whakam orearea i te rerenga rauropi, engari ko ng a p anga ote ALAN ki ng a manu moana ki tai k aore an o kia ata whakam aramatia. Ko ng a ahuatanga k aore an o kia ata t atari ko te tukinga k araho (ko te t utukinga o ng amanu moana e t ahurihuri ana ki ng a waka, n a te ALAN). Ki te whakapae atu i tem oreareatanga o te tukinga k araho ki te Kuaka Whenua Hou (Pelecanoideswhenuahouensis; WHDP) he manu e ngaro haere ana t ona whare ora, i whakatau tatate tini o ng a waka e tere i te p o me te t uponotanga e h angai ana ki tewhakamahinga o te t urama raharaha e p atata ana ki p urei k ohanga anake o r atou,te maha o ng a rerenga o ng a WHDP, te roa o te tauw ahi m atai, a, i te otinga kuawhakamahia te anga

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Is seabird light‐induced mortality explained by the visual system development?

Cited by 23 publications

References 25 publications

Tracking Flights to Investigate Seabird Mortality Induced by Artificial Lights

Tracking Flights to Investigate Seabird Mortality Induced by Artificial Lights

Avoidance of different durations, colours and intensities of artificial light by adult seabirds

Consistent offshore artificial light at night near the last breeding colony of a critically endangered seabird

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