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Responses Of Sympatric Shearwaters To Supplemental Food Under Varying Natural Prey Availability On The Wintering Grounds Of Coastal Newfoundland, Canada, Paloma C. Carvalho, Laurie D. Maynard, Gail K. Davoren Jul 2025

Responses Of Sympatric Shearwaters To Supplemental Food Under Varying Natural Prey Availability On The Wintering Grounds Of Coastal Newfoundland, Canada, Paloma C. Carvalho, Laurie D. Maynard, Gail K. Davoren

Marine Ornithology

Species tend to concentrate in areas with high prey availability, which could lead to competitive interactions within a feeding assemblage as resources become depleted. In coastal Newfoundland, Canada, capelin Mallotus villosus is the focal forage fish species that many top predators feed on during the summer; however, inshore availability varies throughout the boreal summer when abundant aggregations migrate inshore to spawn. We investigated the interactions and responses of Great Shearwaters Ardenna gravis and Sooty Shearwaters A. grisea during their non-breeding season to supplemental food supply under changing natural prey availability (higher and lower capelin availability) by conducting an at-sea experiment …


Wedge-Tailed Shearwater Ardenna Pacifica Fallout Patterns Inform Targeted Management, Brooke Friswold, Keith Swindle, David Hyrenbach, Melissa R. Price Jul 2025

Wedge-Tailed Shearwater Ardenna Pacifica Fallout Patterns Inform Targeted Management, Brooke Friswold, Keith Swindle, David Hyrenbach, Melissa R. Price

Marine Ornithology

Seabird fledglings are often attracted to artificial, bright lights, leading to their grounding. This phenomenon is termed “fallout” and is associated with an increased risk of mortality from land-based threats. This study evaluated temporal trends and spatial factors, such as fallout clustering near lights and proximity to colonies, to inform targeted management actions. Standardized surveys were conducted from 2002 to 2010 for Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica (WTSH) fallout on the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, USA. First, yearly fallout counts along the transect showed a two-year cycle and identified 25 November as the date with the highest fallout across years. Second, …


Spatiotemporal Characterization Of Non-Breeding Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis Within Their Wintering Range, Kevin D. Powers, David N. Wiley, Anna R. Robuck, Zachary H. Olson, Linda J. Welch, Michael A. Thompson, Les Kaufman Jul 2025

Spatiotemporal Characterization Of Non-Breeding Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis Within Their Wintering Range, Kevin D. Powers, David N. Wiley, Anna R. Robuck, Zachary H. Olson, Linda J. Welch, Michael A. Thompson, Les Kaufman

Marine Ornithology

Movements of Great Shearwaters Ardenna gravis wintering in the Northwest Atlantic showed age-based spatial and temporal flexibility, with foraging tactics linked to a defined physical preference of their primary prey. From 2013 to 2018, we tracked 58 Great Shearwaters during their wintering season using platform terminal transmitters deployed in the same area of the southwest Gulf of Maine. Utilization distributions (UDs) for individual birds were created from convex hulls, which were then combined for spatial and temporal analyses. Of the 95% kernel UDs, 55% were contained within the Gulf of Maine and the remainder extended to the Scotian Shelf off …


Seabird Migration At Cabo Carvoeiro (Peniche, Portugal) In Autumn 2015, Johan Elmberg, Erik Hirschfeld, Helder Cardoso, Rebecca Hessel Jul 2025

Seabird Migration At Cabo Carvoeiro (Peniche, Portugal) In Autumn 2015, Johan Elmberg, Erik Hirschfeld, Helder Cardoso, Rebecca Hessel

Marine Ornithology

Land-based counts at Cabo Carvoeiro (Peniche, Portugal), made between 15 August and 15 November 2015 (effort 90 d, 517 h), tallied 302469 birds, most of which (99.98%) were southbound. Although 65 species were observed, four species contributed to 91% of the total: 207608 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus, 32281 Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis, 16086 Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus, and 15222 Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. Passage as a whole increased throughout the period, mainly due to a gradual intensification of Northern Gannet migration. More than 67 000 southbound procellariforms of 12 species were recorded, as were 6183 Stercorariidae of four species. Daily …


Population Status Of The Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma Neglecta Juana) At San Ambrosio Island, Chile, Manuel Marín, Rodrigo González, Sergio Trucco Jul 2025

Population Status Of The Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma Neglecta Juana) At San Ambrosio Island, Chile, Manuel Marín, Rodrigo González, Sergio Trucco

Marine Ornithology

We visited San Ambrosio Island off northern Chile (26°21′S, 079°47′W) on 10–12 December 2019. We found a large population of Kermadec Petrel Pterodroma neglecta juana that appeared to be healthy. In the area that we could survey, we estimated at least 22686 breeding pairs, which is an underestimate of the entire population as we could not access some steep areas. Introduced mammals, which have since been eradicated, caused a loss of island vegetation that might be a drawback for this population, as shading from the sun appears to be important for nest-site selection. Egg-laying started by early December. We assessed …


Foraging Ranges Of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus Humboldti From Tilgo Island: The Critical Need For Protecting A Unique Marine Habitat, René Quispe, Miriam Lerma, Nicolás Luna, Matías Portflitt-Toro, Juan Serratosa, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera Jul 2025

Foraging Ranges Of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus Humboldti From Tilgo Island: The Critical Need For Protecting A Unique Marine Habitat, René Quispe, Miriam Lerma, Nicolás Luna, Matías Portflitt-Toro, Juan Serratosa, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera

Marine Ornithology

The largest population of Humboldt Penguins resides in a fertile archipelago of the north-central coast of Chile, formed by eight islands in proximity to upwelling centers of the Humboldt Current System. However, five of these islands lack legal protection. Here, we report the results of breeding Humboldt Penguins tracked while foraging from Tilgo Island. The average and maximum foraging radii around the colony were 22 km and 43 km, respectively. Our data indicate that trip ranges overlap areas proposed for industrial projects. Because Humboldt Penguins are sentinels of local ecosystem health, this underscores the value of expanding conservation zones in …


Two Unprecedented Auk Wrecks In The Northwest Atlantic In Winter 2012/13, Antony W. Diamond, Douglas B. Mcnair, Julie C. Ellis, Jean-François Rail, Erin S. Whidden, Andrew W. Kratter, Sarah J. Courchesne, Mark A. Pokras, Sabina I. Wilhelm, Stephen W. Kress, Andrew Farnsworth, Marshall J. Iliff, Samuel H. Jennings, Justin D. Brown, Jennifer R. Ballard, Sara H. Schweitzer, Joseph C. Okoniewski, John B. Gallegos, John D. Stanton Jul 2025

Two Unprecedented Auk Wrecks In The Northwest Atlantic In Winter 2012/13, Antony W. Diamond, Douglas B. Mcnair, Julie C. Ellis, Jean-François Rail, Erin S. Whidden, Andrew W. Kratter, Sarah J. Courchesne, Mark A. Pokras, Sabina I. Wilhelm, Stephen W. Kress, Andrew Farnsworth, Marshall J. Iliff, Samuel H. Jennings, Justin D. Brown, Jennifer R. Ballard, Sara H. Schweitzer, Joseph C. Okoniewski, John B. Gallegos, John D. Stanton

Marine Ornithology

An unprecedented irruption of thousands of Razorbills Alca torda into Florida in winter 2012/13 was followed by a “wreck” of Razorbills and Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica in outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in January–March 2013. We describe these events using citizen-science sources (eBird and beached-bird surveys) and band recoveries, then we discuss them in relation to extreme weather and oceanographic change. We explored effects on likely source populations using census and monitoring data, along with possible contributions from population increases, reduced food supply, and extreme weather. Winter 2012/13 followed a marine heatwave throughout the northwest Atlantic, whose effects included reduced availability …


Manx Shearwaters Puffinus Puffinus Breeding In The Western Atlantic Follow A Different Migration Route From Their Eastern Atlantic Conspecifics, Annette L. Fayet, Paula Shannon, Donald E. Lyons, Stephen W. Kress Jul 2025

Manx Shearwaters Puffinus Puffinus Breeding In The Western Atlantic Follow A Different Migration Route From Their Eastern Atlantic Conspecifics, Annette L. Fayet, Paula Shannon, Donald E. Lyons, Stephen W. Kress

Marine Ornithology

Manx Shearwaters are transequatorial migrants, and most of the world’s population breeds in Britain and winters off the Patagonian Shelf in the western South Atlantic. The migration route of British birds follows a well-known clockwise movement between the North and South Atlantic, taking advantage of the winds. Whether this main Manx Shearwater migration corridor is used by the smaller populations breeding in the western North Atlantic is unknown. Here, we report our findings from tracking two adults from a newly-established colony of Manx Shearwaters in Maine, USA using miniature geolocators. The tracked shearwaters followed a post-breeding migration route southward along …


Records Of White Tern Gygis Alba In Panama And Potential Connections To El Niño Events, Daniel Buitrago-Rosas, Jorge L. Medina, Pedro L. Castillo-Caballero Jul 2025

Records Of White Tern Gygis Alba In Panama And Potential Connections To El Niño Events, Daniel Buitrago-Rosas, Jorge L. Medina, Pedro L. Castillo-Caballero

Marine Ornithology

In Panama, the White Tern Gygis alba is a vagrant seabird that has been reported very rarely. Its first record was in 1983, during a very strong El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event that generated a massive invasion of unusual seabirds from South America into the Panama Bay. Unlike other vagrant seabirds, the White Tern remained unrecorded again until 2016. This note reports the second, and first confirmed, occurrence of White Tern to Panama, along with separate confirmed sightings in 2019. We briefly review these records and their potential connections to ENSO events.


Camera Trapping Reveals Cooperative Breeding In The Red-Footed Booby Sula Sula, Matthieu Le Corre, Morgane Manoury, Sabine Orlowski, Florent Bignon, Gabrielle Dicque Jul 2025

Camera Trapping Reveals Cooperative Breeding In The Red-Footed Booby Sula Sula, Matthieu Le Corre, Morgane Manoury, Sabine Orlowski, Florent Bignon, Gabrielle Dicque

Marine Ornithology

Cooperative breeding occurs in only 9% of bird species and is particularly rare among seabirds. We provide evidence that cooperative breeding occurs in a tropical seabird, the Red-footed Booby. Through camera monitoring of active nests, we found one nest in which a chick was raised by a trio of birds: its two parents and an immature bird. The immature bird fed the chick, guarded it, and preened it. The parents did not behave aggressively towards the immature bird when it approached the chick, suggesting that this trio was stable and composed of birds that knew each other. The growth of …


Polymelia And Polydactyly In A Silver Gull Chroicocephalus Novaehollandiae, Eric J. Woehler Jul 2025

Polymelia And Polydactyly In A Silver Gull Chroicocephalus Novaehollandiae, Eric J. Woehler

Marine Ornithology

Here, we report the first observation of polymelia and polydactyly in an Australian wild bird, an adult Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae.


Identification Of Foraging Areas And Movements Of Royal Tern Thalasseus Maximus At The Isles Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge, Louisiana, Virginie Rolland, Megan Nepshinsky, Eva D. Windhoffer, Jeff S. Liechty, Ashlee K. Minor, Aaron R. Pierce Jul 2025

Identification Of Foraging Areas And Movements Of Royal Tern Thalasseus Maximus At The Isles Dernieres Barrier Islands Refuge, Louisiana, Virginie Rolland, Megan Nepshinsky, Eva D. Windhoffer, Jeff S. Liechty, Ashlee K. Minor, Aaron R. Pierce

Marine Ornithology

The Isles Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge (IDBIR) in Louisiana constitutes a major colonial seabird breeding site but is also considered a high-risk marine area that is susceptible to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances that can be detrimental to breeding areas and food resources. The objective of this study was to track the movements of breeding Royal Terns Thalasseus maximus at the IDBIR to identify important foraging movement parameters and foraging areas. GPS loggers were attached to six Royal Terns during the 2014–2017 breeding seasons. Mean foraging trip distance was 28.8 km and the maximum distance traveled was 47.8 km. The …


Recent Records Of Little Cormorant Microcarbo Niger In Sumatra, Indonesia, Arum Setiawan, Muhammad Iqbal, Pormansyah, Indra Yustian, Hilda Zulkifli Jul 2025

Recent Records Of Little Cormorant Microcarbo Niger In Sumatra, Indonesia, Arum Setiawan, Muhammad Iqbal, Pormansyah, Indra Yustian, Hilda Zulkifli

Marine Ornithology

We summarize observations of the Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger in Sumatra from 2016 to 2019. Based on these observations, we suggest that Little Cormorant has become widespread in Sumatra.


First Evidence Of Plastic Ingestion By Red-Billed Tropicbirds Phaethon Aethereus From St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, Hannah Madden, Eline Eggermont Jul 2025

First Evidence Of Plastic Ingestion By Red-Billed Tropicbirds Phaethon Aethereus From St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, Hannah Madden, Eline Eggermont

Marine Ornithology

We present the first confirmed evidence of plastic ingestion by a Red-billed Tropicbird on the Caribbean Netherlands island of St. Eustatius, which supports a regionally important nesting population. With our observations, all species of tropicbird have now been documented ingesting marine plastic pollution.


Behavioral Responses To A Novel Feeding Problem In The Olrog's Gull Larus Atlanticus, Melina V. Castano, Laura M. Biondi, Francisco Zumpano, Marco Favero, Germán O. García Jul 2025

Behavioral Responses To A Novel Feeding Problem In The Olrog's Gull Larus Atlanticus, Melina V. Castano, Laura M. Biondi, Francisco Zumpano, Marco Favero, Germán O. García

Marine Ornithology

Behavioral innovation is considered an expression of behavioral flexibility and is a source of phenotypic plasticity in animals. In this study, we explored the main components of behavioral innovation (neophobia and exploratory behavior) with respect to social context and age in the Olrog’s Gull Larus atlanticus. Twenty consecutive experimental sessions were performed, involving presentation of a plexiglass box containing food; the box could be opened and reached by pushing or pulling different lids, each leading to a food reward. Gulls were able to decrease their neophobic response throughout the course of the experiments. Fifty-three percent of individuals who entered the …


Masthead, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Masthead, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.


Inside Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Inside Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.


Contents, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Contents, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.


Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group Jul 2025

Front Cover, Pacific Seabird Group

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.


A Multidimensional Perspective Of Patterns Of Functioning And Well-Being, Lendi Nicole Joy Jul 2025

A Multidimensional Perspective Of Patterns Of Functioning And Well-Being, Lendi Nicole Joy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality estimates that 79.4% of U.S. adults will remain free from mental illness each year, but this does not necessarily mean they will enjoy positive psychological health and well-being. Well-being has been associated with positive outcomes such as greater health, longevity, work productivity, and increased social engagement. Thus, it is important for researchers to understand factors contributing to the development of well-being and optimal functioning. The current study used latent profile analysis to classify individuals based on their levels of well-being at ages 23 to 26 years and explored functioning indexes assessed when …


Reviews: The Quickening: Antarctica, Motherhood, And Cultivating Hope In A Warming World, Rachel T. Buxton, Eric J. Woehler Jul 2025

Reviews: The Quickening: Antarctica, Motherhood, And Cultivating Hope In A Warming World, Rachel T. Buxton, Eric J. Woehler

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.


Use Of An Honest Signal By Red-Footed Boobies Sula Sula In Response To Kleptoparasitism By Great Frigatebirds Fregata Minor, Lin Chao Jul 2025

Use Of An Honest Signal By Red-Footed Boobies Sula Sula In Response To Kleptoparasitism By Great Frigatebirds Fregata Minor, Lin Chao

Marine Ornithology

On Genovesa Island (00.3°N, 089.9°W) in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Great Frigatebirds Fregata minor kleptoparasitize (i.e., steal food from) Red-footed Boobies Sula sula. In five of eight cases that I observed, the frigatebirds harassed the boobies until the latter regurgitated their forage, which the frigatebirds consumed. In three cases, the booby responded with a honk-like call and the frigatebirds stopped harassing. I propose that the honk is an “honest signal” by a booby having little food to divulge. Boobies loaded with forage do not honk because the call could trigger regurgitation. Thus, frigatebirds harass with escalation only non-honking boobies. The …


Confirmed Record Of Red-Footed Booby Sula Sula From Lakshadweep Sea, Northern Indian Ocean, Chullikad Lalan Vishnulal, Harichandran Prasitha Nisanth, Raveendhiran Ravinesh, Narayanane Saravanane Jul 2025

Confirmed Record Of Red-Footed Booby Sula Sula From Lakshadweep Sea, Northern Indian Ocean, Chullikad Lalan Vishnulal, Harichandran Prasitha Nisanth, Raveendhiran Ravinesh, Narayanane Saravanane

Marine Ornithology

The Red-footed Booby Sula sula occurs across tropical and subtropical oceans, nesting on islands and coastal areas. It is identified by its distinctive red feet, long wings, and sharp bill. However, confirmed reports are rare. Here we report, with photographs, the presence of a Red-footed Booby from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, northern Indian Ocean. This record adds to the collective understanding of the species’ presence and distribution in the region.


White-Chinned Petrel Procellaria Aequinoctialis Feeding On A Dead Dolphin, Fabio Schunck, Rita Souza, Daniel N. Donadio, Leandro Correa, Rodrigo Bicudo, Miguel Oliveira De Souza, Pedro Giovani Cunha E Silva, Elenice Dias, Evair Legal, Fabio Barata Jul 2025

White-Chinned Petrel Procellaria Aequinoctialis Feeding On A Dead Dolphin, Fabio Schunck, Rita Souza, Daniel N. Donadio, Leandro Correa, Rodrigo Bicudo, Miguel Oliveira De Souza, Pedro Giovani Cunha E Silva, Elenice Dias, Evair Legal, Fabio Barata

Marine Ornithology

The White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis is an opportunistic forager that often follows fishing boats to feed upon scraps or escaped/discarded fish. Although its diet in non-breeding areas is not well understood, studies of stomach contents indicate that its diet consists of fish, crustaceans, and squid. In June 2024, during a pelagic birding trip off the coast of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, a White-chinned Petrel was spotted feeding on the floating carcass of a Franciscana Dolphin Pontoporia blainvillei. This behavior has not been previously documented in the literature, online citizen science platforms, or by personal observation. We believe this to be …


First Aberrant Coloured Calonectris Shearwater Recorded In Madeira, Portugal, Pedro Nascimento, Emanuel Santos, João Gonçalves, Mayung Teixeira Jul 2025

First Aberrant Coloured Calonectris Shearwater Recorded In Madeira, Portugal, Pedro Nascimento, Emanuel Santos, João Gonçalves, Mayung Teixeira

Marine Ornithology

Herein, we report a Calonectris sp. shearwater with aberrant plumage, observed southwest off Madeira Island. The bird had an unusual amount of white feathering, more than has been reported so far for the genus. Both upperparts and underparts were predominantly white. Initially, we thought the bird was a leucistic Cory’s Shearwater C. borealis, but some characteristics could not be ascertained. Records of such aberrations should be published to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.


Absence Of Coronavirus In Terns In The Western Indian Ocean?, Camille Lebarbenchon, Chris Feare, Christine Larose, Marie-Alice Simbi, Solenn Boucher, Audrey Jaeger, Matthieu Le Corre Jul 2025

Absence Of Coronavirus In Terns In The Western Indian Ocean?, Camille Lebarbenchon, Chris Feare, Christine Larose, Marie-Alice Simbi, Solenn Boucher, Audrey Jaeger, Matthieu Le Corre

Marine Ornithology

We investigated coronavirus circulation in three tern species on four islands of the Western Indian Ocean (Bird, Reunion, Europa, Juan de Nova). None of the 2019 samples tested positive by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. We discuss the implications of these findings in terms of host-species range, ecological drivers of virus transmission, and diagnostic tools.


Relative Abundance, Seasonal Occurrence, And Distribution Of Marine Birds In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, J. Christopher Haney, Pamela E. Michael, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Randy R. Wilson, Yvan G. Satgé, Kathy M. Hixson, Patrick G.R. Jodice Jul 2025

Relative Abundance, Seasonal Occurrence, And Distribution Of Marine Birds In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, J. Christopher Haney, Pamela E. Michael, Jeffrey S. Gleason, Randy R. Wilson, Yvan G. Satgé, Kathy M. Hixson, Patrick G.R. Jodice

Marine Ornithology

Marine birds in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have long been poorly studied. Given statutory obligations to protect migratory birds and endangered species, three broad-scale vessel and aerial programs initiated since 2010 have now surveyed the entire northern Gulf. Vessel coverage alone exceeds 700 d and 74,000 km of observer effort using 300-m strip transects. We supplemented these survey data with earlier, smaller-scale studies, eBird checklists, literature reviews, and other less accessible sources to create snapshot summaries of relative abundance, seasonal occurrence, and regional distribution for 117 taxa of marine and water birds reported from the northern Gulf (113 of …


Status Of Craveri’S Murrelet Synthliboramphus Craveri In The Midriff Islands, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Francisco Jaime Martínez Reyes, Lauren A. Dolinski, Lorayne R. Meltzer, Paulina De L. Camarena Gomez, Noah L. Oas Jul 2025

Status Of Craveri’S Murrelet Synthliboramphus Craveri In The Midriff Islands, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Francisco Jaime Martínez Reyes, Lauren A. Dolinski, Lorayne R. Meltzer, Paulina De L. Camarena Gomez, Noah L. Oas

Marine Ornithology

The Craveri's Murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri is an endangered seabird (family Alcidae) endemic to northwestern Mexico, where it breeds on rocky islands throughout the Gulf of California (GOC). Nesting records are scarce for most of these islands, and much of the available information relies on historical data collected more than 50 years ago. Beginning in 2009 through to 2023, we performed intermittent nest searches on five islands in the Midriff Islands of the GOC. Starting in 2018 on Alcatraz Island and starting in 2022 on San Pedro Mártir Island, we monitored nests to determine average clutch size and hatching success. We …


First U.S. Atlantic Record Of Nazca Booby Sula Granti, With Implications For Vagrancy By Pacific Seabirds Into The Gulf Of Mexico, Kate E. Sutherland, Nicholas J. Metheny, J. Christopher Haney Jul 2025

First U.S. Atlantic Record Of Nazca Booby Sula Granti, With Implications For Vagrancy By Pacific Seabirds Into The Gulf Of Mexico, Kate E. Sutherland, Nicholas J. Metheny, J. Christopher Haney

Marine Ornithology

An adult Nazca Booby Sula granti was photographed in the western Gulf of Mexico on 03 August 2024 during a survey of marine birds and mammals over waters east of South Padre Island, Texas, USA (26.384ºN, 096.176ºW). This is the first report of S. granti in US waters of the Gulf of Mexico; previous eBird reports indicate occasional presence in Caribbean waters off Costa Rica (2018) and Colombia (2020). As many as 20% of all marine and waterbird species occurring in the Gulf of Mexico have core ranges in the Pacific Ocean or its continental margins. Dispersal by Pacific birds …


Nape Coloration Varies With Sex, Not Age, Among Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis, Ewan D. Wakefield, Anna R. Robuck, Kevin D. Powers, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, David N. Wiley Jul 2025

Nape Coloration Varies With Sex, Not Age, Among Great Shearwaters Ardenna Gravis, Ewan D. Wakefield, Anna R. Robuck, Kevin D. Powers, Robert A. Ronconi, Peter G. Ryan, David N. Wiley

Marine Ornithology

Most petrels (family Procellariidae) exhibit little or no obvious variation in plumage with age or sex, either because plumage performs no sexual function or does so in a way poorly perceptible to humans. This limits the inferences that can be made from visual observations of petrels at sea. However, it has been suggested that nape coloration of Great Shearwaters Ardenna gravis whitens with age. Here we test this supposition using observations of known-age-class individuals. We necropsied birds bycaught around Gough Island, a major breeding colony in the South Atlantic Ocean, and in Massachusetts Bay, a wintering area off the northeastern …