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Individual variability in habitat, migration routes and niche used by Trindade petrels, Pterodroma arminjoniana

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Abstract

Individual variability within a population and the eventual repeatability across time and space may provide stability in a population facing environmental changes, by affecting individuals differently. Thus, the variability and repeatability of behaviours, habitats used, niches and migratory pathways could play an important role. Trindade petrels (Pterodroma arminjoniana) are threatened seabirds that breed year round on Trindade Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, migrate to North Atlantic Ocean in the non-breeding periods, and use wide oceanic areas. This study investigated the timing, at-sea distribution, and trophic niche throughout the annual cycle of the austral fall/winter breeding group of Trindade petrel and examined consistency in distribution and trophic niche used by the Trindade petrel at the individual level, in different breeding seasons, using geolocator tracking and stable isotope analysis. Results demonstrated that petrels breed annually, maintaining their breeding schedules. Petrels share a common, vast oligotrophic oceanic area during both breeding and non-breeding periods inside the South Atlantic and North Atlantic Subtropical Gyres, respectively. Two migratory patterns were identified and used repeatedly by individuals. Although petrels overlapped at-sea distributions in consecutive breeding seasons, consistency in parameters tested was not found. Breeding in two schedules along the year, in addition to the use of different migratory pathways and flexibility in their isotopic niche can be an advantage for Trindade petrel population to cope with environmental changes. Causes and consequences of variable niche and pathways used, and the existence of consistency and variability among birds breeding later on the year remain poorly-known.

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Tracking data are available in the BirdLife Seabird Tracking database.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Brazilian Navy and Comissão Interministerial para os Recursos do Mar (CIRM/SECIRM) for logistic support during the sampling expeditions and to the Ecomega Research Group for contributing to the logistics and funding of this study through grants (CNPq and Projeto Talude). We are also grateful to colleagues from Waterbirds and Sea Turtles Lab for support during fieldword, particularly Gabriela Oliveira who recovered several loggers. We also thank André Guaraldo, Carlos Zavalaga, Eduardo R. Secchi, Luciano Dalla Rosa and Manuel Haimovici for reviewing and commenting on the manuscript, and Amedee Roy for support in data analysis and probing several packages. This research is part of the PhD thesis of G.R.L. under the guidance of L.B.

Funding

This study was supported by the Brazilian CNPq—Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Grants 557152/2009-7 and 405555/2012-1). G.R. Leal received a PhD Grant from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). L. Bugoni received a Research Fellowship from CNPq (Process No. 311409/2018-0).

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  1. Waterbirds and Sea Turtles Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Campus Carreiros, Avenida Itália, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

    Gustavo R. Leal & Leandro Bugoni

  2. Graduate Program in Biological Oceanography, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Campus Carreiros, Avenida Itália, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil

    Gustavo R. Leal & Leandro Bugoni

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  1. Gustavo R. Leal
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This study was authorised under license number 22697-5 (SISBIO—Sistema de Autorização e Informação em Biodiversidade). This article does not contain any studies with human participants. All applicable international, national, and institutional guidelines for the care of animals found stranded alive were followed. We did not conduct experiments with animals.

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Leal, G.R., Bugoni, L. Individual variability in habitat, migration routes and niche used by Trindade petrels, Pterodroma arminjoniana. Mar Biol 168, 134 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-021-03938-4

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