Title:

Can timing and synchronisation of breeding affect chick mortality in the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo?

Subtitle:

Acta Ornithologica, vol. 35, no. 1 ; Czy synchronizacja lęgów może wpływać na śmiertelność piskląt kormorana ; Timing and breeding synchronisation influence on chick mortality in the cormorant

Creator:

Stempniewicz, Lech (1949– ) ; Goc, Michał (1949– ) ; Bzoma, Szymon ; Nitecki, Czesław ; Iliszko, Lech

Contributor:

Polska Akademia Nauk. Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii ; Meeting of the European Ornithologists' Union (2 ; 1999 ; Gdańsk)

Publisher:

Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN

Place of publishing:

Warszawa

Date issued/created:

2000

Description:

Ref. wygłoszony na Second Meeting of the European Ornithologists' Union ; Bibliogr. s. 37-38 ; S. [33]-39 : il. ; 27 cm ; Streszcz. pol.

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Subject and Keywords:

Great Cormorant ; cubs ; mortality ; Poland ; Vistula Spit ; congresses ; Kąty Rybackie ; breeding synchronisation ; chick mortality ; cormorants ; birds ; Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis ; Phalacrocorax carbo ; Phalacrocoracidae ; Aves

Abstract:

In 1996, following a relatively severe and prolonged winter, Great Cormorants started to breed at the Kąty Rybackie colony (NE Poland) one month later than in 1995 but breeding finished at the same time in both years. The estimated total food consumption of the Cormorants was lower during the shorter and more synchronised 1996 breeding season (737 tonnes) than in 1995 (805 tonnes) despite the larger population present in 1996 (5929 pairs) than in 1995 (4942). However, during the period of peak energy need in June the estimated total daily food consumption of Cormorants present in the colony was about 2 tonnes higher in 1996. In June 1996, after a couple of windy days, 24.3% of chicks died and the total fledging success was lower (2.19 fledglings/nest) than in 1995 (2.45). The observed mass chick mortality could be due to the combined effect of strong breeding synchronisation, decreased food availability, and increased costs of foraging due to strong winds. Large breeding colonies of Cormorants can only function successfully when the suitable breeding period is prolonged and breeding can start early. Long-term climate change due to global warming could have favoured the observed Cormorant population increase during the last decades and its expansion into NE Europe. Asynchrony could be adaptive towards alleviating the food requirements of both individual broods and the whole colony.

Relation:

Acta Ornithologica

Volume:

35

Issue:

1

Start page:

33

End page:

39

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Article

Format:

application/pdf

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257, Vol. 35, No 1 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568, Vol. 35, No 1 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

eng ; pol

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Restricted Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. Access only on terminals at the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, may be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms.

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Projects co-financed by:

Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund

Access:

Closed