The influence of synoptic weather patterns on the at-sea behaviour of three species of albatross

Spruzen, Fiona L.; Woehler, Eric J.

doi:10.1007/s00300-001-0344-9

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Thus, while BFAL movements are likely influenced by wind speed and direction, it is unclear whether their local density would be expected to increase ahead of a low pressure cell. There is an ongoing debate regarding the influence of atmospheric pressure on albatross movements, specifically if their flight patterns draw them away [ 57 ] or towards [ 63 ] high pressure cells, and if the low wind-speeds in these cells act as ‘traps’ [ 64 ] or afford enhanced foraging opportunities [ 63 ]. Thus, our results add information to this debate, which merits further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Placing Local Aggregations in a Larger-Scale Context: Hierarchical Modeling of Black-Footed Albatross Dispersion

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

At-sea surveys facilitate the study of the distribution and abundance of marine birds along standardized transects, in relation to changes in the local environmental conditions and large-scale oceanographic forcing. We analyzed the form and the intensity of black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes: BFAL) spatial dispersion off central California, using five years (2004–2008) of vessel-based surveys of seven replicated survey lines. We related BFAL patchiness to local, regional and basin-wide oceanographic variability using two complementary approaches: a hypothesis-based model and an exploratory analysis. The former tested the strength and sign of hypothesized BFAL responses to environmental variability, within a hierarchical atmosphere—ocean context. The latter explored BFAL cross-correlations with atmospheric / oceanographic variables. While albatross dispersion was not significantly explained by the hierarchical model, the exploratory analysis revealed that aggregations were influenced by static (latitude, depth) and dynamic (wind speed, upwelling) environmental variables. Moreover, the largest BFAL patches occurred along the survey lines with the highest densities, and in association with shallow banks. In turn, the highest BFAL densities occurred during periods of negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation index values and low atmospheric pressure. The exploratory analyses suggest that BFAL dispersion is influenced by basin-wide, regional-scale and local environmental variability. Furthermore, the hypothesis-based model highlights that BFAL do not respond to oceanographic variability in a hierarchical fashion. Instead, their distributions shift more strongly in response to large-scale ocean—atmosphere forcing. Thus, interpreting local changes in BFAL abundance and dispersion requires considering diverse environmental forcing operating at multiple scales.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Placing Local Aggregations in a Larger-Scale Context: Hierarchical Modeling of Black-Footed Albatross Dispersion

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Flight, as the primary mode of locomotion in most seabirds, as well as prey searching and detection capacities are influenced by weather conditions, particularly wind [ 6 , 9 , 10 ]. It is therefore reasonable to expect foraging behaviour and success, within an environment of patchily distributed prey resources [ 11 ], to be affected by prevailing weather conditions [ 12 ], and for individuals to demonstrate behavioural methods to alleviate adverse consequences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weathering a Dynamic Seascape: Influences of Wind and Rain on a Seabird’s Year-Round Activity Budgets

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

How animals respond to varying environmental conditions is fundamental to ecology and is a question that has gained impetus due to mounting evidence indicating negative effects of global change on biodiversity. Behavioural plasticity is one mechanism that enables individuals and species to deal with environmental changes, yet for many taxa information on behavioural parameters and their capacity to change are lacking or restricted to certain periods within the annual cycle. This is particularly true for seabirds where year-round behavioural information is intrinsically challenging to acquire due to their reliance on the marine environment where they are difficult to study. Using data from over 13,000 foraging trips throughout the annual cycle, acquired using new-generation automated VHF technology, we described sex-specific, year-round activity budgets in Cape gannets. Using these data we investigated the role of weather (wind and rain) on foraging activity and time allocated to nest attendance. Foraging activity was clearly influenced by wind speed, wind direction and rainfall during and outside the breeding season. Generally, strong wind conditions throughout the year resulted in relatively short foraging trips. Birds spent longer periods foraging when rainfall was moderate. Nest attendance, which was sex-specific outside of the breeding season, was also influenced by meteorological conditions. Large amounts of rainfall (> 2.5 mm per hour) and strong winds (> 13 m s-1) resulted in gannets spending shorter amounts of time at their nests. We discuss these findings in terms of life history strategies and implications for the use of seabirds as bio-indicators.

show abstract

“…It is assumed that the bird was driven to the location by a wind current or a storm; however, there was no storm in the vicinity. Behavioural studies (Spruzen & Woehler 2002) on Light-mantled Albatross found no association with a high or lowpressure system in the atmosphere for movement for foraging. As a result, in addition to pelagic birding, we must maintain close contact with our fellow fishermen to gain more such incredible bird sightings.…”

mentioning

confidence: 88%

First Asian record of Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata (Foster, 1785) from Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, India

Byju

Raveendran²

2022

J. Threat. Taxa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The influence of synoptic weather patterns on the at-sea behaviour of three species of albatross

Cited by 10 publications

References 15 publications

Placing Local Aggregations in a Larger-Scale Context: Hierarchical Modeling of Black-Footed Albatross Dispersion

Placing Local Aggregations in a Larger-Scale Context: Hierarchical Modeling of Black-Footed Albatross Dispersion

Weathering a Dynamic Seascape: Influences of Wind and Rain on a Seabird’s Year-Round Activity Budgets

First Asian record of Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata (Foster, 1785) from Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, India

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About