Dynamics of food availability, body condition and physiological stress response in breeding Black-legged Kittiwakes

被引:359
作者
Kitaysky, AS [1 ]
Wingfield, JC
Piatt, JF
机构
[1] Univ Washington, Dept Zool, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
[2] USGS, Alaska Biol Sci Ctr, Anchorage, AK 99503 USA
关键词
corticosterone; ecology; reproduction; seabirds; seasonality;
D O I
10.1046/j.1365-2435.1999.00352.x
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
1. The seasonal dynamics of body condition (BC), circulating corticosterone levels (baseline, BL) and the adrenocortical response to acute stress (SR) were examined in long-lived Black-legged Kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla, breeding at Duck (food-poor colony) and Cull (food-rich colony) Islands in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. It was tested whether the dynamics of corticosterone levels reflect a seasonal change in bird physiological condition due to reproduction and/or variation in foraging conditions. 2. BC declined seasonally, and the decline was more pronounced in birds at the food-poor colony. BL and SR levels of corticosterone rose steadily through the reproductive season, and BL levels were significantly higher in birds on Duck Island compared with those on Cull Island. During the egg-laying and chick-rearing stages, birds had lower SR on Duck Island than on Cull Island. 3. The results suggest that, in addition to a seasonal change in bird physiology during reproduction, local ecological factors such as food availability affect circulating levels of corticosterone and adrenal response to acute stress.
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页码:577 / 584
页数:8
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