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The Uropygial Gland of the Sooty Tern

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The Uropygial Gland of the Sooty Tern 430 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 0.6, 0.5-1.0 and 1.2-1.8% for the three study periods. HODGES, J. 1952. Two nestling robins with abnormal Within the past 15 years, blackbirds have become beaks. Condor 54:359. the specific targets of new avicidal chemicals. Appar- LANDAUER, W., AND N. SALAM. 1973. Quantitative ently no one has investigated possible hazards to adult and qualitative distinctions in developmental in- birds not killed by these compounds or to their off- terference produced by various substituted pyri- spring. We hope that this report will lead to more wide- dines: molecular shape and teratogenicity as stud- spread observations to detect abnormalities in birds ied on chick embryos. Acta Embryol. Exp. 2: 179- which come into contact with agricultural chemicals. 197. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Therese MORTON, E. S. 1963. A partial albino Red-winged Allen in the preparation of figures and thank William Blackbird with a deformed bill. Wilson Bull. F. Pyburn for many helpful suggestions. 75:281. POMEROY, D. E. 1962. Birds with abnormal bills. Br. LITERATURE CITED Birds 55:49-72. ROGER, J. C., D. G. UPSHALL, AND J. E. CASSIDA. ASH, J. S. 1958. Partridges apparently affected by in- 1969. Structure-activity and metabolism studies dustrial contamination. Br. Birds 51:241-242. on organophosphate teratogens and their alleviat- EASTERLA, D. A., AND J. M. TODD. 1971. Bill deform- ing agents in developing hen eggs with special ity of a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Auk 88:677-678. emphasis on Bidrin. Biochem. Pharmacol. 18:373- FOX, W. 1952. Behavioral and evolutionary signifi- 392. cance of the abnormal growth of beaks of birds. ROMANOFF, A. L. 1972. Pathogenesis of the avian em- Condor 54: 160-162. bryo. Wiley-Interscience, New York. GILANI, S. H. 1974. Imipramine and congenital ab- SITTMAN, K., W. 0. WILSON, AND L. Z. MCFARLAND. normalities. Pathol. Microbial. 40:37-42. 1966. Buff and albino Japanese Quail. J. Hered. GOCHFELD, M. 1975. Developmental defects in Com- 57:119-124. mon Terns of western Long Island, New York. Auk STURKIE, P. D. 1941. Studies on hereditary congenital 92: 58-65. baldness in the domestic fowl. J. Morphol. 69:517- HAYS, H., AND R. W. RISEBROUGH. 1972. Pollutant 535. concentrations in abnormal young terns from Long Island Sound. Auk 89:19-35. Department of Biology, The University of Texas at HICKS, L. E. 1934. Individual and sexual variations in Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019. Accepted for pub- the European Starling. Bird-Banding 5:103-118. lication 2 November 1978. Condor,81:430-432 0 The Cooper OrnithologicalSociety 1979 THE UROPYGIAL GLAND OF “The Sooty Tern, one of the most pelagic of all terns, practically never enters the water, but snatches its food THE SOOTY TERN daintily from the surface in flight. Another pelagic species, the Noddv, often settles on water where fish are schooling and feeds like a gull.” Dinsmore DAVID W. JOHNSTON (1972:171) reported that Sooty Terns “. apparently seldom rest on water. As Sooties inhabit the open oceans during the nonbreeding season, birds from The classical experiments of J. B. Watson and K. S. some colonies must fly continuously for 6 months or Lashley (1915) on the Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata) re- more.” Finally, Serventy et al. (1971:29) noted: “The sulted in the now widely accepted idea that this bird Sooty Tern can apparently sleep on the wing-or do becomes waterlogged if it rests on water. In one of a without it altogether-for it is found over the open series of tests on Sooty and Noddy (Anous stolidus) oceans many days from land and cannot rest on the sea terns, the authors reported (1915:39): “One noddy and since its plumage becomes waterlogged owing to the one sooty were held in the water and at times im- inefficiency of the preen gland.” mersed in it for a period of 10 minutes. The birds were Although waterlogging in the Sooty Tern might be then placed gently on the surface. The noddy imme- due to a number of factors (e.g., feather structure or diately raised itself and flew over to the land. The sooty chemical composition of the preening oil), the present was helpless under these conditions. While in the report addresses itself solely to this species ’ uropygial water it floundered about, getting the tips of its wings gland as it might relate to the putative waterlogging out, but could not rise. Since it was becoming more property. and more waterlogged, I rescued it. .” In other tests, Weight. In 1860, Crisp presented data that suggest the two terns were placed in cages over water; Sooty uropygial glands of waterbirds are heavier than those Terns, but not Noddy Terns, became waterlogged in of landbirds. Elder (1954) and Kennedy (1971) subse- as little as 25 min. The conclusions from these tests quently confirmed Crisps’ belief. Nonetheless, varia- that Sooty Terns become waterlogged and may drown tions in uropygial gland weights are poorly understood if they alight on water have led subsequent investi- and scantily documented. In conjunction with my in- gators to speculate on their pelagic behavior. For ex- vestigation emphasizing S. fuscata, glands from 5 gen- ample, Ashmole (1963:30) in his studies of the breed- era and 13 species (including fuscata) of terns were ing and feeding biology of these terns believed that weighed and compared with the birds ’ fresh body they “would never deliberately rest on the water for weights. Body weights ranged from 46 g (S. a&from) more than a minute or so .” Sooty Terns normally to 698 g (S. caspia). Body weight and uropygial gland feed by dipping, without plunging below the surface weight are positively correlated (Fig. 1; regression (Ashmole and Ashmole 1967). Austin (1961: 133) stated: line, least squares method, r = 0.87). Specifically the SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 0.2 0.0 0 loo 200 500 600 700 FIGURE 1. Relationship between body weight and uropygial gland weight in 13 species of terns. 1 = Sterna maxima, 2 = S. sanduicensis, 3 = S. caspia, 4 = Anoecs stolidus, 5 = Larosterna inca, 6 = Gygis alba, 7 = Sterna hirundo, 8 = S. fuscata, 9 = S. albifrons, 10 = S. anaethetus, 11 = S. fwsteri, 12 = Chlidonias niger, I3 = S. paradisaea. values for S. fuscata (number 8 in Fig. 1) do not differ positions of which are characteristic for single orders markedly from those of the other 12 species. Mean or even families” (Jacob 1978:165). Many functions uropygial gland weights expressed as a percent of body have been proposed for these secretions over the past weight are 0.33 (n = 10, SD = 20.05) in S.fuscata and century (see Law 1929, Elder 1954); at least in water- 0.31 (n = 31, SD = -tO.ll) in the other terns. Thus, the birds, they impregnate the feathers and improve their uropygial gland of fuscata is approximately the same waterproofing property, thereby enhancing the birds ’ relative size as glands in the other terns studied. swimming ability (Jacob 1978:203). I did not analyze Kennedy (1971) also found a strong correlation be- the chemical composition of tern gland secretions in tween body weight and uropygid gland weight in the present study but extracted total fat-soluble com- House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and a variety of ponents from individual glands by a technique previ- water- and landbirds. In addition, he found some in- ously described (Johnston 1976). Glands from five S. traspecific variation that might be attributable to sea- fuscata contained a mean of 7.% extractable lipids sonal variation in weight. I found some intraspecific (percent of gland weight; range = 6.6-9.2; Table 1). variation, apparently less in the small species than in Eleven glands from five other tern species had a mean the larger ones. Most of the terns were breeding, so of 17.6% (SD = k5.3, range = 11.5-28.8). By compar- that variation was probably not due to seasonal differ- ison, glands from 10 species of waterbirds (Ad&lie Pen- ences or to differences in androgenic levels, which are guin [Pygoscelis adeliae], geese, loons, ducks, Pied- reported to affect gland secretion (Maiti and Ghosh billed Grebe [Podilymbus podiceps]) had a mean of 1972). 26.5% (SD = 26.3, range 17.2-38.7). It appears, there- Extractable components. Uropygial gland secretions fore, that (a) tern glands as a whole contain quantita- consist “predominantly [of] ester waxes ., the com- tively less fat-soluble material than do those from some 432 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS TABLE 1. Extracted lipids from uropygial glands in terns, as percent of gland weight. Bridled Tern (Sterna anaethetus) 11.5, 13.2 Caspian Tern (S. caspia) 19.5, 21.8, 23.6 Sooty Tern (S. fuscata) 6.6, 7.2, 7.2, 9.2, 9.2 Common Tern (S. hit-undo) 13.7, 15.2, 15.6 Royal Tern (S. maxima) 28.8 Sandwich Tern (S. sandcicensis) 13.8, 16.3 x s. fuscata = 7.9 r( and SD other 5 tern species = 17.6 -t 5.3 x and SD waterbirds ’ = 26.5 + 6.3 ’ ’ PYWCelisaddhe. Amer albibns, Chen caerulescens, Moms bossonus, Gauio immer, C. stelloto, .~ergus serrator, Anosf&ig&, Aix sponsn, Podilymbus podiceps. birds that typically swim and (b) the gland of Sooty JACOB, J. 1978. Uropygial gland secretions and feather Terns contains less fat material than do those of other waxes, p. 165-211. In A. H. Brush [ed.], Chemical terns studied here. This deficiency of uropygial oils in zoology. Vol. 10, Aves. Academic Press, New York. Sooty Terns is probably a major factor contributing to JOHNSTON, D. W. 1976. Organochlorine pesticide res- the species ’ putative waterlogging quality. idues in uropygial glands and adipose tissue of I am indebted to William B.
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