Using stable isotope analysis of multiple feather tracts to identify moulting provenance of vagrant birds: a case study of Baikal Teal <i>Anas formosa</i> in Denmark

Fox, Tony; Christensen, Thomas Kjær; Bearhop, Stuart; Newton, Jason

doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.2007.00672.x

Cited by 20 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…This is a particular problem for apparent vagrant ducks because there are numerous wildfowl collections throughout Europe from which wild birds could apparently have escaped. Fox et al . (2007) sampled two generations of feathers from a first‐winter Baikal Teal Anas formosa shot by hunters in Denmark.…”

Section: Stable Isotopes As Spatial Markersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applications of stable isotope analyses to avian ecology

Inger

Bearhop²

2008

Ibis

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451

387

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In the past 20 years the use of stable isotope analysis has become increasingly common in ecological studies. In fact, in some instances these techniques have yielded remarkable insights into the foraging preferences and migrations of birds. Despite these advances and the potential of the approach, it is possibly still not as widely used as might be expected. In this paper we aim to illustrate the potential of the approach in the hope of encouraging more avian ecologists to think again about how these techniques might provide insights in the systems on which they work. We discuss some of the principles behind the approach, and review some of the more recent ornithological studies that have used stable isotope techniques to trace trophic pathways or infer migratory origins. We follow this by discussing some of the latest ideas on how stable isotopes may be used to generate community metrics and close by detailing the important assumptions and caveats that should be considered before undertaking any studies using this technique.

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Section: Stable Isotopes As Spatial Markersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applications of stable isotope analyses to avian ecology

Inger

Bearhop²

2008

Ibis

Self Cite

451

387

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“…The hydrogen isotope values of the primary feathers show depleted 2 H values, clearly beyond the range of bird feathers grown in Europe, providing evidence for the growth of the feathers in Siberia, and thus verifying the identified migration route of white‐fronted geese wintering in south‐central Europe . More research on the different breeding sites in Siberia might enable us in the future even to differentiate between specific arctic summer regions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 54%

Backtracking the movements of a migratory bird: a case study of a white‐fronted goose (Anser albifrons)

Horacek

2011

Rapid Comm Mass Spectrometry

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The occurrence of avian influenza has brought attention to migrating birds and their migratory routes as possible carriers and gates, respectively, of the pathogenic influenza virus. There is a need to verify migration routes and to back-track the migration routes of infected animals. Stable isotope analysis of bird feathers is a valuable tool for studying the migratory pattern of birds, by gaining information about the environmental conditions during the growth of the feathers. Ideally, if different feathers that have grown during different periods are investigated, not only can information about the molting region be extracted, but also some clues can be obtained about stop-overs during the migration of individual animals, enabling the reconstruction of the pathway. In the presented case study the hydrogen, carbon nitrogen and sulfur stable isotope ratios of different types of feathers (primaries, down feathers and blood pinfeathers) from one white-fronted goose specimen have been determined. These ratios differ significantly for some elements. By taking into account the different time of growth of the respective feathers, the isotope data can be interpreted with respect to the animal migration route from the summer (and molting) to the wintering region. This is the first paper to attempt to map the migration pathway using different types of feather from a single individual.

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“…Better identification of patterns of vagrancy will result from documentation of additional records of vagrant auklets and other seabirds, collation of published and often hidden unpublished historical records, and better understanding of weather patterns. Stable isotope analysis, genetics, and satellite tracking also hold promise to assist identification of source localities or populations of some vagrants (Jouventin and Weimerskirch 1990;Fox et al 2007;Pyle 2009;Birt et al 2011;Landers et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%