A5088720147- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- melanin and skin pigmentation
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Marine animal studies overview
- Sperm and Testicular Function
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Sports Performance and Training
- Pharmacological Effects and Assays
- Meat and Animal Product Quality
Swiss Ornithological Institute
2015-2025
Felix Platter-Hospital
1984-1986
Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is now delivering data on fine-scale animal movement at near-global scale. Linked with remotely sensed environmental data, this offers a biological lens habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation human health; global network of sentinels change.
Change in body mass is an important measurement many studies addressing changes energy stores or condition. Usually, change measured birds caught twice, but this has a number of drawbacks (e.g. low retraps, retraps not representative all first captures, adverse effects capture on body-mass development). Therefore, we investigated whether plasma metabolites correlate with change, and which could be used to predict once. In experiment, 20 Garden Warblers (Sylvia borin) were given different...
Summary Human outdoor recreational activities are increasing and have a significant impact on wildlife. There few methods suitable for investigating the response of rare endangered species to human activities, although can be assessed at various scales by measuring both physiological behavioural responses disturbance. Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus suffering strong population declines throughout central Europe. We examined effects ski tourism capercaillie habitat use adrenocortical activity,...
Stress generated by humans on wildlife continuous development of outdoor recreational activities is increasing concern for biodiversity conservation. Human disturbance often adds to other negative impact factors affecting the dynamics vulnerable populations. It not known which extent rapidly spreading free-riding snow sports actually elicit detrimental stress (allostatic overload) upon wildlife, nor what potential associated fitness and survival costs are. Using a non-invasive technique, we...
1. Physiological parameters can give valuable indications about the performance of animals in their environment and combined deleterious effects several factors on individual. The concentration circulating glucocorticoids is often taken as a measurement level stress an animal exposed to. As alternative, ratio heterophils (or neutrophils mammals) to lymphocytes blood (H/L-ratio) has been proposed. Although laboratory studies with exogenous corticosterone treatment or strong stressors found...
Migrating birds perform extraordinary endurance flights, up to 200 h non-stop, at a very high metabolic rate and while fasting. Such an intense prolonged physical activity is normally associated with increased production of reactive oxygen nitrogen species (RONS) thus risk oxidative stress. However, now it was unknown whether flight evokes We measured marker damage (protein carbonyls, PCs) enzymatic antioxidant capacity (glutathione peroxidase, GPx) in the European robin (Erithacus...
Summary The concentration of the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) is increasingly used in ecology and conservation biology as an integrated measure historical record individual's hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) activity during feather growth. However, where how CORT incorporated feathers incompletely known. We therefore examined whether reliably measured with enzyme immunoassay, it affects quality, incorporation related to plasma levels, growth rate melanin pigmentation....
During long-term fasting at rest, protein utilization is maintained low levels until it increases a threshold adiposity. This study examines 1) whether such shift in energy substrate use also occurs during endurance exercise while fasting, 2) the role of corticosterone, and 3) adrenocortical response to an acute stressor. Ten species migrating birds caught after flight over least 500 km were examined. Plasma uric acid corticosterone with fat stores >5% body mass high smaller stores....
SUMMARY This study examines fuel use and metabolism in a group of long-distance migrating birds, red knots Calidris canutus (Scolopacidae), flying under controlled conditions wind tunnel for up to 10 h. Data are compared with values resting birds fasting the same time. Plasma levels free fatty acids, glycerol uric acid were elevated during flight, irrespective flight duration (1-10 h). Triglyceride levels, estimated concentration very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) β-hydroxybutyrate lower...
Plasma fat metabolites were measured during the nocturnal migratory flight in three species of small passerines. The birds had higher free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol levels than resting that been fasted overnight. In contrast to exercising mammals large birds, they also elevated triglyceride very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction. It is hypothesized FFA reesterification liver delivery triglyceride-VLDL muscles helps circumvent constraints energy supply endurance locomotion animals...
SUMMARY Environmental conditions affect growth and development and, through developmental plasticity, create phenotypic variation. In suboptimal current survival is traded-off against development. Corticosterone,the main glucocorticoid in birds, may be involved the reallocation of energy from to maintenance, but its effect on has rarely been investigated altricial birds under natural wild. free-living Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus nestlings, we artificially elevated corticosterone...
Abstract Sexual selection theory posits that ornaments can signal the genetic quality of an individual. Eumelanin‐based coloration is such ornament and ability to cope with a physiological stress response because melanocortin system regulates eumelanogenesis as well responses. In present article, we experimentally investigated whether stronger sensitivity light than dark eumelanic individuals stems from differential regulation hormones. Our study shows darker barn owl nestlings have lower...
Anthropogenic disturbance of wildlife is growing conservation concern, but we lack comprehensive approaches its multiple negative effects. We investigated several effects by winter outdoor sports on free‐ranging alpine Black Grouse simultaneously measuring their physiological and behavioral responses. experimentally flushed radio‐tagged from snow burrows, once a day, during successive days, quantified stress hormone levels (corticosterone metabolites in feces [FCM] collected individual...
1. After the breeding season, migrant passerine birds moult and subsequently migrate to their winter quarters. Moult migration involve different physiological processes (replacement of body proteins vs energy storage for endurance flights). This study investigates metabolic responses three phases annual cycle (postbreeding, moulting migratory periods) in situations (feeding during day, overnight fasted, short-term fasted) by examining six plasma metabolite levels bird species. 2. In feeding...
Montane and alpine habitats in Europe remained relatively undisturbed until the beginning of last century. Today, outdoor recreation activities are a major economic factor regions. Many tourism areas coincide with winter shy endangered species. The Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus has suffered from rapid population declines during recent decades over much its range. In central Europe, many exposed to intensive human their habitats, which may contribute this decline. However, little is...
Although gene by environment interactions may play a key role in the maintenance of genetic polymorphisms, little is known about ecological factors involved these interactions. We investigated whether food supply and parasites can mediate covariation between degree adult pheomelanin‐based coloration, heritable trait, offspring body mass tawny owl (Strix aluco). swapped clutches nests to allocate genotypes randomly among environments. Three weeks after hatching, we challenged immune system 80...
Abstract Stressful situations during development can shape the phenotype for life by provoking a trade‐off between and survival. Stress hormones, mainly glucocorticoids, play an important orchestrating role in this trade‐off. Hence, how stress sensitive animal is critically determines ultimately fitness. In several species, darker eumelanic individuals are less to stressful conditions than conspecifics, which may be due pleiotropic effects of genes affecting both coloration physiological...