As the Egg Turns: Monitoring Egg Attendance Behavior in Wild Birds Using Novel Data Logging Technology

Shaffer, Scott A.; Clatterbuck, Corey A.; Kelsey, Emily C.; Naiman, Alex D.; Young, Lindsay C.; VanderWerf, Eric A.; Warzybok, Pete; Bradley, Russell W.; Jahncke, Jaime; Bower, Geoff C.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0097898

Cited by 27 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…We also analyzed daily turning rates based on the hourly averages. Expressing turning rates on a daily basis provided a more ecologically relevant metric than hourly turning rates and was comparable to other recent studies of egg turning behavior using accelerometery (Beaulieu et al , Thierry et al , Shaffer et al ). We also analyzed daytime and nighttime temperatures and turning rates.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Turning rates were based on a minimum angle changes of 108 so that we analyzed only deliberate movements made by the incubating auklet. The 108 turning threshold approximated the cumulative inflection between angle change and turning rates and was comparable to thresholds used in previous studies (Beaulieu et al 2010, Thierry et al 2013, Shaffer et al 2014. We analyzed hourly turning rates and temperatures ( x, max., min.…”

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Environmental temperatures, artificial nests, and incubation of Cassin's auklet

et al. 2015

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Hatching success in birds is influenced by the temperature and turning rate of the egg, but our understanding of the environmental factors that effect incubation temperatures and egg turning rates in birds is limited. Especially little is known of these effects for species that nest in burrows or crevices, such as the Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus). On Southeast Farallon Island, California, USA, a subset of the Cassin's auklet (hereafter auklet) population nest in artificial nest boxes. The nest boxes are above ground and made out of a single layer of plywood. Temperatures in unshaded nest boxes can increase significantly with high ambient temperatures (to >35° C). Shaded structures put on top of occupied nest boxes help mediate nest box temperatures, but the effects of elevated temperatures on auklet incubation behaviors and egg viability remain equivocal. We used egg data loggers to measure the temperatures and turning rates of auklet eggs in natural burrows, shaded nest boxes, and unshaded nest boxes on Southeast Farallon Island. Nest box (13.93 ± 1.26° C) and egg (37.43 ± 1.92° C) temperatures were highest and most variable in unshaded nest boxes. Mean hourly egg turning rate was 2.11 ± 2.02 turns/hour and turning rates were greater at night. Egg turning rates also varied with fluctuating nest and egg temperatures, being positively correlated with nest temperatures during the day and negatively correlated with egg temperatures during the night. Our results suggest that nest box design can influence incubation behaviors of breeding birds. As seasonal temperatures and the number of extreme heat events rise, understanding the impacts of temperature on auklets nesting in artificial nests can have positive implications for conservation and management of the species, such as implementing improved artificial nest box designs to prevent overheating of burrow nesting seabirds. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Data Processingmentioning

confidence: 98%

Environmental temperatures, artificial nests, and incubation of Cassin's auklet

et al. 2015

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“…Cassin's Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), Western Gull (Larus occidentalis), and Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) (Shaffer et al 2014). The highest egg turning frequencies of both females and males occurred between 12:30 and 14:29 h, and the lowest frequencies of both parents were between 18:30 and 20:29 h, suggesting that ambient temperature plays a significant role in egg turning behavior for Black-necked Cranes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Egg turning is unique to birds and crucial for embryonic development in most avian species (Shaffer et al 2014). Optimum egg turning frequency during incubation has been of interest since the observations of feral fowl incubation behavior by Elibol and Brake (2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regulation of egg temperature through egg turning by incubating parents is crucial to both the survival and proper development of avian embryos. However, egg turning behavior has not been studied as widely as parental attendance pattern, egg physiology, or hatching success (Shaffer et al 2014). In addition, egg turning frequency in wild birds is rarely studied due to difficulty of observations in darkness (Weathers and Zaun 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Incubation strategies of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in relation to ambient temperature and time of day

Zhang

Shu

et al. 2017

Avian Res

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Background:The behavior of cranes reflects many of their survival strategies, but little has been known of the incubation strategies of cranes, in which both parents share incubation duties, in response to cold temperatures in alpine environments. The lack of information may restrict the effective conservation of the threatened Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis), a biparental bird nesting in high elevation wetlands. Methods:We directly observed and used infrared video cameras from 2014 to 2015 to study the incubation behavior and quantitatively measured the frequency and details of egg turning behavior in the Black-necked Crane at the Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve in western Gansu Province, China. Results:At lower ambient temperatures in the morning, crane parents spent more time on the nest with less recess frequency and prolonged on-bout duration, while at higher temperatures around noon, the parents had more frequent recesses from incubation and shorter periods between nest exchanges. They adjusted the amount of time incubating by varying the recess frequency and the length of on-bout duration. Mean nest attendance and egg turning frequency of females were significantly higher than those of the males. The nest attendance and on-bout duration of females showed a significantly negative relationship with those of males. The two parents responded differently to the change of temperature. Females spent more time on the nest at lower morning temperatures, while males increased their time on the nest at higher temperatures after noon. Higher incubation recess frequency and egg turning frequency were observed at noon, probably because parents spent more time foraging, taking advantage of the lower egg cooling rate. Conclusion:Both Black-necked Crane parents in the alpine environment adjusted their behavior in response to the thermal requirements of eggs and the weather conditions experienced. Our findings demonstrate that parents of this species incubated in different but complementary ways and efficiently enhanced egg care in a dynamic environment, so as to maximize benefits from the warm portion of the day and the intense solar radiation while minimizing the cost of rewarming eggs and the risks of cooling eggs.

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Organochlorines, perfluoroalkyl substances, mercury, and egg incubation temperature in an Arctic seabird: Insights from data loggers

Blévin

Shaffer

Bustamante

et al. 2018

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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In birds, incubation-related behaviors and brood patch formation are influenced by hormonal regulation such as prolactin secretion. Brood patch provides efficient heat transfer between the incubating parent and the developing embryo in the egg. Importantly, several environmental contaminants are already known to have adverse effects on avian reproduction. However, relatively little is known about the effect of contaminants on incubation temperature (T ) in wild birds. By using temperature thermistors placed into artificial eggs, we investigated whether the most contaminated parent birds are less able to provide appropriate egg warming and thus less committed to incubating their clutch. Specifically, we investigated the relationships among 3 groups of contaminants (organochlorines, perfluoroalkyl substances [PFASs], and mercury [Hg]) with T and also with prolactin concentrations and brood patch size in incubating Arctic black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). Our results reveal that among the organochlorines considered, only blood levels of oxychlordane, the main metabolite of chlordane, a banned pesticide, were negatively related to the minimum incubation temperature in male kittiwakes. Levels of PFASs and Hg were unrelated to T in kittiwakes. Moreover, our study suggests a possible underlying mechanism: since we reported a significant and negative association between blood oxychlordane concentrations and the size of the brood patch in males. Finally, this reduced T in the most oxychlordane-contaminated kittiwakes was associated with a lower egg hatching probability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2881-2894. © 2018 SETAC.

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As the Egg Turns: Monitoring Egg Attendance Behavior in Wild Birds Using Novel Data Logging Technology

Cited by 27 publications

References 33 publications

Environmental temperatures, artificial nests, and incubation of Cassin's auklet

Environmental temperatures, artificial nests, and incubation of Cassin's auklet

Incubation strategies of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in relation to ambient temperature and time of day

Organochlorines, perfluoroalkyl substances, mercury, and egg incubation temperature in an Arctic seabird: Insights from data loggers

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