EFFECT OF IMPLANTED SATELLITE TRANSMITTERS ON THE NESTING BEHAVIOR OF MURRES
Paul M. Meyers, Scott A. Hatch
and Daniel M. MulcahyUS Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division
Alaska Biological Science Center
1011 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, AK 99503
REFERENCE: The Condor 100:172-174, 1998
Abstract. We implanted 6 Common Murres (Uria aalge) and 10 Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) with satellite transmitters and compared subsequent presence at the colony, nesting status, and provisioning to a control group that underwent a simple surgical procedure. In the 10 days following implantation, we resighted 10 of 11 control birds at the colony and 6 of 16 implanted birds. Of the birds that returned, 7 of 10 control birds retained breeding status, whereas zero of six implanted birds retained breeding status. We conclude that abdominal implantations alter murre nesting behavior.
The implantation procedure is detailed elsewhere in
PICTURES and in TEXT.|
The antenna collar (the white thing at the base of the antenna) is the essential device allowing the percutaneous antenna. |
ç This shows the size of the satellite transmitters (about 32 grams) that we surgically implanted into (in this case, in a common murre).. |
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è The dimensions of the standard satellite transmitter that we employ are roughly the same as a small box of matches |
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The murres used in this study were from Cape Lisburne, in northwest Alaska. However, the picture at left shows murre habitat at the Barren Islands, located between the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island. |
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Murres were captured by noosing them from the nesting cliffs. The birds were placed in burlap bags and returned to the field camp for the implantation surgery. |
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