Nutritional condition of Antarctic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis) in Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands

BELTRÁN, M; CASAUX RICARDO; BERTELLOTTI MARCELO; DAMICO VERÓNICA

Iguazu

Congreso; Ornithological Congressof the Americas; 2017

Association of Field Ornithologists, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia , Aves Argentinas

Bloodparameters provide information to monitor the physical condition of wild birdpopulations. These parameters depend on the intrinsic factors of each speciesand the environmental conditions at each site. Therefore, they can vary withthe diet and consequently with the nutritional condition of individuals, aswith the period of reproduction. The Antarctic cormorant (Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis) is a sea bird with extensivebiparental care and highly sensitive to the availability of food aroundbreeding sites. The feeding grounds close to the colonies of the Antarcticcormorant located in the South Shetland Islands (ISS) underwent an intensefishing activity which resulted in a decrease in the food supply for cormorantsthat nest in this archipelago. Throughout the 2016 reproductive cycle at PuntaArmonía, Nelson Island (ISS) the nutritional condition of adult cormorants wasevaluated by mean of determination of biochemical parameters related to thefood ingested (glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and total proteins). Theonly parameter that showed a significant intra-seasonal variation was theglucose, decreasing with the advance of the breeding season and with the stageof raising of nestlings. Decrease of glucose could be the result of theimmediate energy investment required for parental care of the nestlingstherefore, it could be considered that the ISS cormorants maintain a stablenutritional condition throughout the breeding season.