10.5061/DRYAD.2V6WWPZJV
Whelan, Shannon
0000-0003-2862-327X
McGill University
Hatch, Scott A.
Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation
Benowitz-Fredericks, Z. Morgan
Bucknell University
Parenteau, Charline
Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé
Chastel, Olivier
Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé
Elliott, Kyle
McGill University
Data from: The effects of food supply on reproductive hormones and timing
of reproduction in an income-breeding seabird
Dryad
dataset
2020
Rissa tridactyla
GPS movement data
accelerometer data
Black-legged kittiwake
accelerometry
Gulf of Alaska
Canada Research Chairs
https://ror.org/0517h6h17
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
https://ror.org/01h531d29
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
https://ror.org/01h531d29
Canada Research Chairs
https://ror.org/0517h6h17
James Baillie Award
Northern Scientific Training Program
Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation
2020-11-13T00:00:00Z
2020-11-13T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104874
6225751614 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Current food supply is a major driver of timing of breeding in
income-breeding animals, likely because increased net energy balance
directly increases reproductive hormones and advances breeding. In capital
breeders, increased net energy balance increases energy reserves, which
eventually leads to improved reproductive readiness and earlier breeding.
To test the hypothesis that phenology of income-breeding birds is
independent of energy reserves, we conducted an experiment on
food-supplemented (“fed”) and control female black-legged kittiwakes
(Rissa tridactyla). We temporarily increased energy costs (via weight
handicap) in a 2 × 2 design (fed/unfed; handicapped/unhandicapped) during
the pre-laying period and observed movement via GPS-accelerometry. We
measured body mass, baseline hormones (corticosterone; luteinising
hormone) before and after handicap manipulation, and conducted a
gonadotropin-releasing hormone challenge. Females from all treatment
groups foraged in similar areas, implying that individuals could adjust
time spent foraging, but had low flexibility to adjust foraging distance.
Consistent with the idea that income breeders do not accumulate reserves
in response to increased food supply, fed birds remained within an energy
ceiling by reducing time foraging instead of increasing energy reserves.
Moreover, body mass remained constant until the onset of follicle
development 20 days prior to laying regardless of feeding or handicap,
implying that females were using a ‘lean and fit’ approach to body mass
rather than accumulating lipid reserves for breeding. Increased food
supply advanced endocrine and laying phenology and altered interactions
between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the
hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, but higher energy costs (handicap)
had little effect. Consistent with our hypothesis, increased food supply
(but not net energy balance) advanced endocrine and laying phenology in
income-breeding birds without any impact on energy reserves.
GPS-accelerometers (12 g, AxyTrek, Technosmart EU) were attached to the
tail of female black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)
Deployed/retrieved at Middleton Island, Alaska During the prelaying period
(May-June) in 2018 GPS fix rate = 1 location every 3 minutes Acceleration
recorded at 25 Hz Deployments lasted, on average, 4.3 days File naming
system: [DeviceID]_[BirdID]_[DeploymentDate%d%b%Y] These are raw,
unprocessed data files. Each csv contains GPS-accelerometer data for one
female kittiwake. Detailed methods are described in: Whelan, S., Hatch,
S.A., Benowitz-Fredericks, ZM., Parenteau, C., Chastel, O., &
Elliott, K.H. (2021) The effects of food supply on reproductive hormones
and timing of reproduction in an income-breeding seabird. Hormones and
Behavior, 127, 104874. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104874
See Supplementary Materials of the associated paper for metadata.