Show simple item record

Files in this item

Thumbnail

Item metadata

dc.contributor.authorBlackburn, Emma
dc.contributor.authorBurgess, Malcolm
dc.contributor.authorFreeman, Ben
dc.contributor.authorRisely, Alice
dc.contributor.authorIzang, Arin
dc.contributor.authorIvande, Samuel Tertese
dc.contributor.authorHewson, Chris
dc.contributor.authorCresswell, Will
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-02T00:32:31Z
dc.date.available2017-02-02T00:32:31Z
dc.date.issued2016-07
dc.identifier236724837
dc.identifiereb79d512-ac87-4094-81f9-e8bb44a0342b
dc.identifier84957827976
dc.identifier000386127600009
dc.identifier.citationBlackburn , E , Burgess , M , Freeman , B , Risely , A , Izang , A , Ivande , S T , Hewson , C & Cresswell , W 2016 , ' An experimental evaluation of the effects of geolocator design and attachment method on between-year survival on Whinchats Saxicola rubetra ' , Journal of Avian Biology , vol. 47 , no. 4 , pp. 530-539 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.00871en
dc.identifier.issn0908-8857
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-4684-7624/work/60426924
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10023/10213
dc.description.abstractData from location logging tags have revolutionised our understanding of migration ecology, but methods of tagging that do not compromise survival need to be identified. We compared resighting rates for 156 geolocator-tagged and 316 colour ringed-only whinchats on their African wintering grounds after migration to and from eastern Europe in two separate years. We experimentally varied both light stalk length (0, 5 and 10 mm) and harness material (elastic or non-elastic nylon braid tied on, leg-loop ‘Rappole’ harnesses) in the second year using a reasonably balanced design (all tags in the first year used an elastic harness and 10 mm light stalk). Tags weighed 0.63 g (0.01 SE), representing 4.1% of average body mass. There was no overall significant reduction in between-year resighting rate (our proxy for survival) comparing tagged and untagged birds in either year. When comparing within tagged birds, however, using a tied harness significantly reduced resighting rate by 53% on average compared to using an elastic harness (in all models), but stalk length effects were not statistically significant in any model considered. There was no strong evidence that the fit (relative tightness) or added tag mass affected survival, although tied tags were fitted more tightly later in the study, and birds fitted with tied tags later may have had lower survival. Overall, on a precautionary principle, deploying tags with non-elastic tied harnesses should be avoided because the necessary fit, so as not to reduce survival, is time-consuming to achieve and does not necessarily improve with experience. Geolocator tags of the recommended percentage of body mass fitted with elastic leg-loop harnesses and with short light stalks can be used without survival effects in small long-distance migrant birds.
dc.format.extent10
dc.format.extent634626
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Avian Biologyen
dc.subjectPaleartic migranten
dc.subjectMigrationen
dc.subjectTag effecten
dc.subjectRappole harnessen
dc.subjectQH301 Biologyen
dc.subject.lccQH301en
dc.titleAn experimental evaluation of the effects of geolocator design and attachment method on between-year survival on Whinchats Saxicola rubetraen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. School of Biologyen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Instituteen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciencesen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. St Andrews Sustainability Instituteen
dc.contributor.institutionUniversity of St Andrews. Centre for Biological Diversityen
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/jav.00871
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.date.embargoedUntil2017-02-01


This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record