As the egg turns: monitoring egg attendance behavior in wild birds using novel data logging technology

PLoS One. 2014 Jun 2;9(6):e97898. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097898. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Egg turning is unique to birds and critical for embryonic development in most avian species. Technology that can measure changes in egg orientation and temperature at fine temporal scales (1 Hz) was neither readily available nor small enough to fit into artificial eggs until recently. Here we show the utility of novel miniature data loggers equipped with 3-axis (i.e., triaxial) accelerometers, magnetometers, and a temperature thermistor to study egg turning behavior in free-ranging birds. Artificial eggs containing egg loggers were deployed in the nests of three seabird species for 1-7 days of continuous monitoring. These species (1) turned their eggs more frequently (up to 6.5 turns h(-1)) than previously reported for other species, but angular changes were often small (1-10° most common), (2) displayed similar mean turning rates (ca. 2 turns h(-1)) despite major differences in reproductive ecology, and (3) demonstrated distinct diurnal cycling in egg temperatures that varied between 1.4 and 2.4 °C. These novel egg loggers revealed high-resolution, three-dimensional egg turning behavior heretofore never measured in wild birds. This new form of biotechnology has broad applicability for addressing fundamental questions in avian breeding ecology, life history, and development, and can be used as a tool to monitor birds that are sensitive to disturbance while breeding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Accelerometry / methods*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild / physiology*
  • Birds / physiology*
  • Circadian Rhythm
  • Magnetometry / methods*
  • Nesting Behavior / physiology*
  • Ovum / physiology*
  • Species Specificity
  • Temperature
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grants from the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB); California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science and Technology (CSU COAST); Dr. Earl H. Myers and Ethel M. Myers Oceanographic and Marine Biology Trust; Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund; and San Jose State University Research, Scholarship and Activity (RSCA) grants. These funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Pacific Rim Conservation provided support in the form of salaries for authors LCY and EAVW, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.