DOI: 10.1242/jeb.010512. Examining the development of individual recognition in a burrow-nesting procellariiform, the Leach's storm-petrel

Examining the development of individual recognition in a burrow-nesting procellariiform, the Leach's storm-petrel

10.1242/jeb.010512

Crossref journal-article

The Company of Biologists

Journal of Experimental Biology (237)

Abstract

SUMMARY Burrow-nesting petrels use their well-developed sense of smell for foraging, homing to their nest, and mate recognition. The chicks of burrow-nesting petrels can apparently learn odours associated with prey while still in the nest, but the development of individual-specific odour recognition is less well understood. We used a simple two-choice test to determine whether 4- to 6-week-old chicks of a small, burrow-nesting species,the Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), prefer the scent of their own nest material to (1) the scent of similar organic material collected from the colony or (2) the scent of a conspecific's nest material. Results suggest that chicks clearly preferred the scent of their own nest material to that of similar organic material collected from the colony (96%; N=24; binomial test, P&lt;0.001). Results further suggested that birds preferred the scent of their own nest material to that of a conspecific, though the preference was statistically less robust (67%; N=39; binomial test, P=0.05). Because Leach's storm-petrel chicks do not normally leave their burrow prior to fledging, an ability to recognise individual or nest-specific odours is not likely to be used for homing but instead may be linked to the development of individual recognition in different contexts.

Bibliography

OâDwyer, T. W., Ackerman, A. L., & Nevitt, G. A. (2008). Examining the development of individual recognition in a burrow-nesting procellariiform, the Leachâs storm-petrel. Journal of Experimental Biology, 211(3), 337â340.

Authors 3

Terence W. O'Dwyer (first)
A. L. Ackerman (additional)
Gabrielle A. Nevitt (additional)

References 27 Referenced 24

Blaustein, A. R. (1983). Kin recognition mechanisms: phenotype matching or recognition alleles? Am. Nat.121,749-754. (10.1086/284101)
Bonadonna, F. and Bretagnolle, V. (2002). Smelling home: a good solution for burrow-finding in nocturnal petrels?J. Exp. Biol.205,2519-2523. (10.1242/jeb.205.16.2519)
Bonadonna, F. and Nevitt, G. A. (2004). Partner-specific odor recognition in an Antarctic seabird. Science306,835. (10.1126/science.1103001)
Bonadonna, F., Villafane, M., Bajzak, C. and Jouventin, P.(2004). Recognition of burrows olfactory signature in blue petrels, Halobaena caerulea: an efficient discrimination mechanism in the dark. Anim. Behav.67,893-898. (10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.08.013)
Cannell, P. F. and Maddox, G. D. (1983). Population changes in three species of seabirds at Kent Island, New Brunswick. J. Field Ornithol.54,29-35.
Cramp, S., Bourne, W. R. P. and Saunders, D.(1974). The Seabirds of Britain and Ireland. London: Collins.
Cunningham, G. B. (2005). Development of olfactory behaviors in procellariiform seabirds. PhD thesis,University of California, Davis, USA.
Cunningham, G. B., Van Buskirk, R. W., Bonadonna, F.,Weimerskirch, H. and Nevitt, G. A. (2003). A comparison of the olfactory abilities of three species of procellariiform chicks. J. Exp. Biol.206,1615-1620. (10.1242/jeb.00286)
Cunningham, G. B., Van Buskirk, R. W., Hodges, M. J.,Weimerskirch, H. and Nevitt, G. A. (2006). Behavioural responses of blue petrel chicks (Halobaena caerulea) to food-related and novel odours in a simple wind tunnel. Antarct. Sci.18,345-352. (10.1017/S0954102006000393)
De Leon, A., Minguez, E. and Belliure, B.(2003). Self-odour recognition in European Storm-petrel chicks. Behaviour140,925-933.
Huntington, C. E., Butler, R. G. and Mauck, R. A.(1996). Leach's Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa). In The Birds of North America, No 233 (ed. A. Poole and F. Gill), pp. 1-32. Philadelphia, Washington: The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA and the American Ornithologists Union, Washington, DC.
Keller, M., Pierman, S., Douhard, Q., Baum, M. J. and Bakker,J. (2006). The vomeronasal organ is required for the expression of the lordosis behaviour, but not sex discrimination in female mice. Eur. J. Neurosci.23,521-530. (10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04589.x)
Minguez, E. (1997). Olfactory nest recognition by British storm-petrel chicks. Anim. Behav.53,701-707. (10.1006/anbe.1996.0308)
Morse, D. H. and Buchheister, C. W. (1979). Nesting patterns of Leach's storm-petrels on Matinicus Rock, Maine. Bird-Banding50,145-158. (10.2307/4512438)
Nevitt, G. A. (1999a). Foraging by seabirds on an olfactory landscape. Am. Sci.87, 46-53. (10.1511/1999.1.46)
Nevitt, G. A. (1999b). Olfactory foraging in Antarctic seabirds: a species specific attraction to krill odors. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.177,235-241. (10.3354/meps177235)
Nevitt, G. A. (2000). Olfactory foraging by Antarctic procellariiform seabirds: life at high Reynolds numbers. Biol. Bull.198,245-253. (10.2307/1542527)
Nevitt, G. A. and Bonadonna, F. (2005). Seeing the world through the nose of a bird: new developments in the sensory ecology of procellariiform seabirds. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.287,292-295.
Nevitt, G. A., Veit, R. R. and Kareiva, P.(1995). Dimethyl sulphide as a foraging cue for Antarctic Procellariiform seabirds. Nature376,681-682. (10.1038/376680ao)
Nevitt, G. A., Reid, K. and Trathan, P. (2004). Testing olfactory foraging strategies in an Antarctic seabird assemblage. J. Exp. Biol.207,3537-3544. (10.1242/jeb.01198)
Oxley, J. (1999). Distribution and abundance of Leach's storm-petrels on Bon Portage Island. Msc thesis,Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada.
Priddel, D. and Carlile, N. (1995). Mortality of adult Gould's petrels Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera at the nesting site on Cabbage Tree Island, New South Wales. Emu95,259-264. (10.1071/MU9950259)
Votier, S. C., Crane, J. E., Bearhop, S., De Leon, A., McSorley,C. A., Minguez, E., Mitchell, I. P., Parsons, M., Phillips, R. A. and Furness,R. W. (2006). Nocturnal foraging by great skuass Stercorarius skua: implications for conservation of storm-petrel populations. J. Ornithol.147,405-413. (10.1007/s10336-005-0021-9)
Warham, J. (1990). The Petrels:Their Ecology and Breeding Systems. London: Academic Press.
Warham, J. (1996). The Behaviour,Population Biology and Physiology of the Petrels. London:Academic Press.
Woodley, S. K., Cloe, A. L., Waters, P. and Baum, M. J.(2004). Effects of vomeronasal organ removal on olfactory sex discrimination and odor preferences of female ferrets. Chem. Senses29,659-669. (10.1093/chemse/bjh069)
Zar, J. H. (1999). Biostatistical Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Dates

Type	When
Created	17 years, 7 months ago (Jan. 18, 2008, 4:38 p.m.)
Deposited	4 years, 4 months ago (April 25, 2021, 9:29 a.m.)
Indexed	5 months, 2 weeks ago (March 19, 2025, 12:19 p.m.)
Issued	17 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 2008)
Published	17 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 2008)
Published Print	17 years, 7 months ago (Feb. 1, 2008)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{O_Dwyer_2008, title={Examining the development of individual recognition in a burrow-nesting procellariiform, the Leach’s storm-petrel}, volume={211}, ISSN={0022-0949}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.010512}, DOI={10.1242/jeb.010512}, number={3}, journal={Journal of Experimental Biology}, publisher={The Company of Biologists}, author={O’Dwyer, Terence W. and Ackerman, A. L. and Nevitt, Gabrielle A.}, year={2008}, month=feb, pages={337–340} }

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