The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
Preen wax is important for plumage maintenance and other functions. Its chemical composition is complex, and separating and quantifying its components, commonly by gas chromatography (GC), can be challenging. We present a simple analytical system consisting of thin‐layer chromatography/flame ionization detection (TLC‐FID) using a solvent system of 100% toluene to analyse the complex compound classes...
Male and female European Robins Erithacus rubecula display their red breasts in year‐round territorial contests. Despite the clear signalling role of the red breast, little is known about its sexual dimorphism or trends in size when Robins age. We studied these patterns in resident and migrant Robins in a Mediterranean population. Both male and female first‐year Robins had smaller red breasts than...
We measured deuterium isotope ratios (δDf) in primary feathers to distinguish first‐year from older Pectoral Sandpipers Calidris melanotos captured in Barrow, Alaska, during the breeding season. δDf showed a distinct bimodal distribution, and model‐based clustering placed the δDf values into two non‐overlapping groups. More negative δDf corresponded to Arctic areas, probably identifying first‐year...
Microbial infection is considered a critical cause of hatching failure in birds. Although several behavioural mechanisms are believed to improve reproductive success in birds, their direct effect on the risk of bacterial trans‐shell infection (BTSI) remains to be tested. Here, we focus on the protective roles of intermittent incubation and covering of the clutch with nest lining during the laying...
We investigated the effects of body mass and latitude on primary moult duration from published data of migrating shorebirds that moult exclusively on the wintering grounds. Non‐phylogenetic and phylogenetic models demonstrated that body mass and latitude correlate with moult duration in a non‐additive way: the models predict different latitudinal relationships for smaller and larger shorebirds, and...
Methods to obtain moult data from wild birds have not changed much over the last century and most studies still depend on checking museum specimens or capturing birds. Here we assess the applicability of systematic field photography for detecting and scoring moult in adult Black Skimmers Rynchops niger from southern Brazil. Moult data extracted from photographs have a high within‐ (RGLMM = 0.98) and...
The timing and duration of each stage of the life of a long‐distance migrant bird are constrained by time and resources. If the parental roles of males and females differ, the timing of other life stages, such as moult or pre‐migratory fuelling, may also differ between the sexes. Little is known about sexual differences for species with weak sexual dimorphism, but DNA‐sexing enables fresh insights...
Melanin is the most common pigment in avian plumage and has various functions, including signalling individual condition, social status, aiding in camouflage and strengthening feathers. To date, most research focusing on melanin‐based colours has focused on eumelanin black and pheomelanin rusty traits. The occurrence and function of grey melanin‐based coloration, however, remains largely unstudied...
Moult is an energetically demanding period, during which flight may be impaired and foraging ranges may become constrained. During the non‐breeding period, Great Ardenna gravis and Sooty Ardenna grisea Shearwaters migrate from South Atlantic breeding colonies to aggregate at North Atlantic feeding grounds. We investigated whether both shearwater species used coastal Newfoundland, Canada, as a moulting...
An understanding of feather moult, an important process in the life cycle of birds, lags behind that of other avian life‐history events. This lag includes a lack of scientific attention, but surprisingly also a lack of basic knowledge regarding the moult strategy of many bird species. This situation is particularly astonishing in light of the fact that feathers are a unique characteristic of birds...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.