Abstract
We present morphometric data for the pink-footed shearwater (Puffinus creatopus) from both Chilean breeding colonies on Isla Mocha and Juan Fernández: weight, total length, wing length, tail length, head length, three bill and three tarsus size measurements and length of middle toe. Significant differences were found for most measurements between males and females as well as between birds from the two different breeding localities. In general, males were bigger than females, and birds from Juan Fernández were bigger than those from Isla Mocha. Geographic differences most likely reflect some kind of ecomorphological adaptation. Some variables, especially the total length of head, seem to be useful for sex determination in the field.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashton KG (2002) Patterns of within-species body size variation of birds: strong evidence for Bergmann’s rule. Global Ecol Biogeogr 11:505–523
BirdLife International (2000): Threatened birds of the world. Lynx, Barcelona, Spain
Bourne, WRP (1983) Preliminary report on the ornithological situation at Juan Fernández. Unpublished report
Brooke M de L (1987) The birds of the Juan Fernández Islands, Chile. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge
De Naurois R, Erard C (1979) L’identité subspécific des populations néo-calédoniennes de Pterodroma rostrata Peale 1848. Oiseau Rev Fr Ornithol 49:235–239
Genovart M, McMinn M, Bowler D (2003) A discriminant function for predicting sex in the Balearic Shearwater. Waterbirds 26:72–76
González-Solís J, Croxall JP, Wood AG (2000) Sexual dimorphism and sexual segregation in foraging studies of northern giant petrels, Macronectes halli, during incubation. Oikos 90:390-398
Guicking D (1999) Pink-footed shearwaters on Isla Mocha, Chile. World Birdwatch 21:20–23
Guicking D, Fiedler W (2000) Report on the excursion to the Juan Fernández Islands, Chile, 4–23 February 2000. Unpublished report
Guicking D, Ristow D, Becker PH, Schlatter R, Berthold P, Querner U (2001) Satellite tracking of the pink-footed shearwater in Chile. Waterbirds 24:8–15
Hodum P, Wainstein M (2002) Biology and conservation of the Juan Fernández archipelago seabird community. Unpublished report
Hodum P, Wainstein M (2003) Biology and conservation of the Juan Fernández archipelago seabird community. Unpublished report
Johnstone RM, Niven BE (1989) Sexing grey-faced petrels by discriminant analysis of measurements. Notornis 36:261–265
Kahn NW, John JS, Quinn TW (1998) Chromosome-specific intron size differences in the avian CHD gene provide an efficient method for sex identification in birds. Auk 115:1074–1078
Marchant S, Higgins PJ (1990) Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds, vol 1. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia
Palmer RS (ed) (1962) Handbook of North American birds, vol 1. Yale University Press, Newhaven, Conn.
Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T (1989) Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
Spear LB, Ainley DG (1998) Morphological differences relative to ecological segregation in petrels (family: Procellariidae) of the southern ocean and tropical pacific. Auk 115:1017–1033
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dietrich Ristow, who introduced D.G. and C.L. to handling and measuring of shearwaters and to Javier Arata for his help in the field in 1999. José Bascur, Claudia Rojas, Ivan Leiva and many others of the staff of CONAF gave logistical help on the islands and supported our work in many respects. M. Wink (University of Heidelberg, Germany) provided laboratory facilities for genetic sex determination. Peter Hodum, Nick Klomp and Adam Bester contributed valuable suggestions to different aspects of shearwater ecology. We thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments, and Ken Wilson for checking the English. Permission for capturing, handling and taking blood samples of birds was given generously by R. Verdugo, J. Meza, I. Leiva (CONAF) and J.C. Cuchacovich (Servicio Agricola and Ganadero). The Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland” in Wilhelmshaven (Germany) provided us with rings. The project was financially supported by the Volkswagen-Stiftung, Hanover.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by F. Bairlein
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guicking, D., Fiedler, W., Leuther, C. et al. Morphometrics of the pink-footed shearwater (Puffinus creatopus): influence of sex and breeding site. J Ornithol 145, 64–68 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-003-0012-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-003-0012-7