Carbon Isotope Ratio of Feathers Reveals Feeding Behavior of Cormorants

Mizutani, Hiroshi; Fukuda, Michio; Kabaya, Yuko; Wada, Eitaro

doi:10.2307/4087626

Cited by 154 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The mechanism responsible for the observed positive linear relationship between ␦ 13 C and ␦ 15 N values in feathers is also unknown. Similar patterns of intraspecific covariation of ␦ 13 C and ␦ 15 N values have been reported for humans (54), deer (55), elephants (61), bear (62,63), and cormorants (64). Some authors have suggested that the positive correlation may be a linked response to trophic enrichment of both 13 C and 15 N (reviewed in ref.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Stable isotope signature of philopatry and dispersal in a migratory songbird

Graves

Romanek

Navarro

2002

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stable isotope analysis is widely promoted as a practical method for tracing the geographic origins of migratory birds. However, the extent to which geospatial patterns of isotope ratios in avian tissues are influenced by age-specific, altitudinal, and temporal factors remains largely unexplored. We measured carbon ( 13 C͞ 12 C) and nitrogen ( 15 N͞ 14 N) isotope ratios in feathers of black-throated blue warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) breeding along a relatively steep altitudinal gradient in the Appalachian Mountains to evaluate the effects of altitude and year on the isotopic signatures of yearling (first breeding season) and older males (>2 years). Breeding males (n ‫؍‬ 302) collected during 7 consecutive years exhibited significant age-specific and altitudinal effects in ␦ 13 C values and age-specific and temporal effects in ␦ 15 N values. The ␦ 13 C values of older males increased with altitude at the rate of Ϸ1.3‰ per 1,000 m, suggesting a high degree of year-to-year philopatry to narrow altitudinal zones, if not to breeding territories. In contrast, absence of altitudinal patterns in yearlings most likely reflects natal dispersal. Carbon isotope variation (␦ 13 C ‫؍‬ ؊26.07 to ؊20.86‰) observed along a single altitudinal transect (755 m) nearly brackets the range of ␦ 13 C values recorded in feathers across the North American breeding range of the warbler from Georgia to New Brunswick (11°of latitude) and from New Brunswick to Michigan (22°of longitude). These data indicate that age-specific and altitudinal effects must be considered when using ␦ 13 C values to delineate the geographic origin of avian species with large altitudinal and latitudinal ranges.R ecognition that stable-isotope signatures of animal tissues can be used to study the trophic ecology (1-4), nutritional status (5-7), and geographic origins of animals (8-11) has lead to an explosive burst of research in what is arguably a new frontier in animal ecology (12, 13). Of particular interest, the linkage of breeding and wintering ranges of migratory songbird populations has been frustrated by the lack of populationspecific morphological and genetic markers, by the infinitesimally low recapture rates of marked birds, and because the majority of species are too small to carry powerful satellite transmitters. Recent analyses have shown that isotopic patterns in the feathers of migratory birds vary systematically across continental areas (8, 14-18), reflecting the natural variation of isotopes in food and water during the period of feather growth (19,20). Fully grown feathers are metabolically inert, and the isotopic composition of feathers, with the exception of exchangeable hydrogen, is believed to be fixed (8,(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). These studies suggest that a combination of isotopic tracers may eventually provide a potent and cost-effective method of linking breeding and wintering populations of most songbirds that breed at temperate latitudes.Despite the promise of stable isotope analysis in elucidating migratory dynamics and th...

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Stable isotope signature of philopatry and dispersal in a migratory songbird

Graves

Romanek

Navarro

2002

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mizutani et al (1992) extended this work to include other bird species and showed that ε feather-diet varied from 2.5 to 3.8‰, depending on species. Mizutani and Wada (1988), Mizutani et al (1990Mizutani et al ( , 1992 and Hobson and Clark (1992b) also observed significant differences in ε 13 C for regurgitant and feathers from free ranging and captive birds. Variability was attributed to a variety of factors including the relationship between the timing of feather growth and seasonality in the composition of potential prey and/or the lipid content of prey items (Bender et al 1981;Sullivan and Krueger 1981;Hobson and Clark 1992a).…”

Section: Stable Isotopes and Tissue-diet Enrichment Factorsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Mizutani et al (1990Mizutani et al ( , 1991 reported a ε feather-diet of 4‰ for stable carbon isotopes in free-ranging and captive cormorants and attributed the difference to the fractionation of 13 C as it is incorporated in the keratin of feathers. Mizutani et al (1992) extended this work to include other bird species and showed that ε feather-diet varied from 2.5 to 3.8‰, depending on species.…”

Section: Stable Isotopes and Tissue-diet Enrichment Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The stable isotope signature of feather keratin has been used to document the feeding behavior and migratory patterns of various species of birds (Mizutani and Wada 1988;Mizutani et al 1990Mizutani et al , 1992Clark 1992a, 1992b;Chamberlain et al 1997;Hobson and Wassenaar 1997;Marra et al 1998). Feathers provide an optimal tissue for the study of endangered species because they represent a non-lethal source tissue that may be collected without invasive handling.…”

Section: Stable Isotopes As Tracers Of Life History Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

et al. 2000

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Down feathers and regurgitant were collected from nestling wood storks (Mycteria americana) from two inland and two coastal breeding colonies in Georgia. The stable isotopic ratios of carbon ( 13 C/ 12 C) and nitrogen ( 15 N/ 14 N) in these materials were analyzed to gain insights into the natal origins of juvenile storks and the foraging activities of adults. Down feathers differed in δ 13 C between inland and coastal colonies, having average isotopic values that reflected the sources of carbon fixed in biomass at the base of the food web. Feathers from the inland colonies differed between colonies in δ 15 N, while those from the coastal colonies did not. These patterns primarily reflected the foraging activities of parent storks, with individuals capturing differing percentages of prey of distinct trophic status at each colony. Collectively, the carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of feather keratin were used to distinguish nestlings from each colony, except for instances where storks from different colonies foraged in common wetlands. The stable isotopic composition of food items in regurgitant was used to reconstruct the trophic structure of the ecosystems in which wood storks foraged. Predicted foraging activities based on the isotopic composition of keratin were generally consistent with the percentage of prey types (freshwater vs. saltwater and lower trophic level vs. upper trophic level consumer) observed in regurgitant, except for the coastal colony at St. Simons Island, where the δ 13 C of feathers strongly suggested that freshwater prey were a significant component of the diet. This inconsistency was resolved by aerial tracking of adults during foraging excursions using a fixed-wing aircraft. Observed foraging activities supported interpretations based on the stable isotope content of feathers, suggesting that the latter provided a better record of overall foraging activity than regurgitant analysis alone. Observed foraging patterns were compared to the predictions of a statistical model that determined habitat utilization based on habitat availability using a geographic information system (GIS) database. Observed foraging activities and those predicted from feathers both suggested that some adult storks preferred to feed their young freshwater prey, even when saltwater resources were more accessible in the local environment. This conclusion supports the contention that wood stork populations are sensitive to changes in the distribution of freshwater habitats along the southeastern coastal plain of the United States.

show abstract

“…However, the 6' " value can provide information about the source of carbon entering the food chain, for example distinguishing between marine and freshwater systems (Hobson 1987, Mizutani et al 1990, Hobson & Sealy 1991. Furthermore, the timescale over which dietary information is represented by a given isotope signature varies with tissue type and depends largely upon metabolic turnover (Tieszen et al 1983, Hobson & Sealy 1991, Hobson & Clark 1992a, 1993, Hobson 1993.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The trophic status of marine turtles as determined by stable isotope analysis

Godley¹,

Thompson²,

Waldron³

et al. 1998

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT-Stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon were determined in bone collagen, egg proteins and keratin from epidermal carapace scutes of loggerhead Caretta caretta, green Chelonia mydas, and leatherback Dermochelys coriacea turtles from the Mediterranean Sea and the European Atlantic Ocean. Isotope ratios in proteins from loggerhead turtles indicate that this species occupies a higher trophic position than green turtles Leatherback turtles are apparently intermediate in trophic status. Within loggerhead turtles, both isotope ratios correlated positively with body size, indicating a trend of increasing trophic level with age. Within the size range of green turtles sampled, there was apparently no change in trophic level in relation to body s b e . In absolute terms, isotope signatures of egg proteins were markedly different from those of bone collagen. However, inter-specific differences in isotope values ~e r e ccnsiste~t ??it!: !has in bone protein. The lluvtli appiication oi rnis technique to marine turtles generally confirmed dietary information collected conventionally in these species and has also afforded additional insights into shifts in diet and trophic status as turtles mature.

show abstract

Carbon Isotope Ratio of Feathers Reveals Feeding Behavior of Cormorants

Cited by 154 publications

References 10 publications

Stable isotope signature of philopatry and dispersal in a migratory songbird

Stable isotope signature of philopatry and dispersal in a migratory songbird

Foraging ecology of the endangered wood stork recorded in the stable isotope signature of feathers

The trophic status of marine turtles as determined by stable isotope analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About