Post-fledging dispersal of Southern Giant Petrels Macronectes giganteus from North Patagonian colonies

COPELLO, S.; RABUFETTI, F.; QUINTANA, F.

ARDEOLA

SEO/BirdLife

Año: 2009 vol. 56 p. 103 - 112

0570-7358

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:TimesNewRomanPS; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:TimesNewRomanPS-Italic; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:ES-TRAD;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> Traditionally, seabird dispersal has been studied from sightings at sea by observers aboard vessels. This  methodology is of limited value because the origin, sex and age of birds remain unknown. Nowadays, remote tracking of southern giant petrels (González-Solís et al., 2000; Quintana and Dell´ Arciprete, 2002;  Gonzaléz-Solís et al., 2008) and other procellariformes (see review Birdlife-International, 2004) provide accurate information on at-sea distribution and bypass the shortcomings of ship-based observations. However, the understanding of animal movements can be complemented by banding studies. This less expensive approach is also useful for the examination of marine habitat use at a broader scale. Also, as banding results are based on a large number of individuals, they are also helpful for determining population parameters in long term studies.