Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation
Waved albatrosses often relocate their eggs during incubation by placing the egg between the tarsi and shuffling forward. This behavior frequently results in eggs becoming lodged between rocks, accounting for at least 10%, and perhaps as much as 80%, of breeding failures. Because albatross populatio...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Resilience Alliance
2005-12-01
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| Series: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss1/art2/ |
| _version_ | 1797970514187124736 |
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| author | Jill A. Awkerman Kathryn P. Huyvaert David J. Anderson |
| author_facet | Jill A. Awkerman Kathryn P. Huyvaert David J. Anderson |
| author_sort | Jill A. Awkerman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Waved albatrosses often relocate their eggs during incubation by placing the egg between the tarsi and shuffling forward. This behavior frequently results in eggs becoming lodged between rocks, accounting for at least 10%, and perhaps as much as 80%, of breeding failures. Because albatross populations worldwide are currently threatened, artificial means of augmenting reproductive success may be necessary to mitigate losses caused by anthropogenic effects. We characterize the frequency and extent of egg movement; test several hypotheses related to microhabitat, timing, and incubation location to explain the behavior; and investigate the utility of repositioning lodged eggs in a location in which breeding birds might resume incubation. Egg rescue increased both the likelihood of continued incubation as well as the hatching rate in our experiment, and provides an efficient, low-cost management option for this species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:19:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-21ee25ffa0224b65a2767431cd707ebe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:19:02Z |
| publishDate | 2005-12-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-21ee25ffa0224b65a2767431cd707ebe2023-01-02T09:28:51ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682005-12-0111210.5751/ACE-00009-0101029Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial MitigationJill A. Awkerman0Kathryn P. Huyvaert1David J. Anderson2Wake Forest UniversityColorado State UniversityWake Forest UniversityWaved albatrosses often relocate their eggs during incubation by placing the egg between the tarsi and shuffling forward. This behavior frequently results in eggs becoming lodged between rocks, accounting for at least 10%, and perhaps as much as 80%, of breeding failures. Because albatross populations worldwide are currently threatened, artificial means of augmenting reproductive success may be necessary to mitigate losses caused by anthropogenic effects. We characterize the frequency and extent of egg movement; test several hypotheses related to microhabitat, timing, and incubation location to explain the behavior; and investigate the utility of repositioning lodged eggs in a location in which breeding birds might resume incubation. Egg rescue increased both the likelihood of continued incubation as well as the hatching rate in our experiment, and provides an efficient, low-cost management option for this species.http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss1/art2/egg movementwaved albatross</span>Pheobastria irrorata<span class="proof_keywords">reproductive successegg adoptionmanagementegg incubation |
| spellingShingle | Jill A. Awkerman Kathryn P. Huyvaert David J. Anderson Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation Avian Conservation and Ecology egg movement waved albatross </span>Pheobastria irrorata<span class="proof_keywords"> reproductive success egg adoption management egg incubation |
| title | Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation |
| title_full | Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation |
| title_fullStr | Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation |
| title_short | Mobile Incubation in Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata): Associated Hatching Failure and Artificial Mitigation |
| title_sort | mobile incubation in waved albatross phoebastria irrorata associated hatching failure and artificial mitigation |
| topic | egg movement waved albatross </span>Pheobastria irrorata<span class="proof_keywords"> reproductive success egg adoption management egg incubation |
| url | http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss1/art2/ |
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