I .- 244 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS

ing this period. Repeated sampling of nests would serve DUFFY, D. C., AND R. E. RICKLEFS.1981. Observations to determine the relative importance of these factors. on growth of Blue-footed Boobies and development of temperature regulationin Peruvian guano . J. In , we thank E. Ortiz for his assistancein the field, Field Omithol. 52:332-336. PESCA PERU for its hospitality, and W. Brown, C. Hays, KEIRANS,J. E., C. M. CLIFFORD,AND H. HOOGSTRAAL. M. Plenge,B. Torres, and P. Yengle for logisticand moral 1984. Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) yunkeri, new support. In Gal&pagos,we thank the personnel and sci- (Acari: Ixodoidea: Argasidae), from entists of Beagle IV. National Park Service. and Darwin and nesting sites in the Galapagos Islands. J. Med. Station for as&tance. We owe specialthanks to H. Hoog- Entomol. 21:344-350. straal who identified the ticks, provided essential refer- KHALIL, G. M., AND H. HOOGSTRAAL.198 1. The life ences,and generally fostered our interest and knowledge. cycle of Ornithodoros(Alectorobius) amblus (Atari: We thank The International Council for Preser- Ixoidea: Argasidae)in the laboratory. J. Med. Ento- vation, National ScienceFoundation (DEB77- 16077), Or- mol. 18:134-139. ganization of American States, Smithsonian Institution, NELSON,J. B. 1978. The Sulidae: gannetsand boobies. World Wildlife Fund, and Princeton University for finan- Oxford University Press, Oxford, England. cial support.The Fitzpatrick Institute supporteddata anal- RICE, R.C.A. 1977. Ticks in the Galipagos Islands. M. ysis and the preparation of the paper. This is contribution . - SC.thesis. University of Hawaii, . number 374 of the Charles Darwin Foundation. RICKLE~. R. E.. D. C. DUFFY. AND M. COULTER. 1984. LITERATURE CITED Weight gain of Blue-footed Booby chicks:an indicator of marine resources.Omis Scan& 15:162-166. CLIFFORD,C. M., H. HOOGSTRAAL,F. J. RADOVSKY,D. ROTHSCHILD.M.. AND T. CLAY. 1952. Fleas. flukes and STILLER.AND J. E. KEIRANS. 1980. Ornithodoros cuckoos:Coilins, London, England. (Alectorhbius)amblus (Acarina: Ixoidea: Argasidae): SIEGEL,S. 1956. Nonparametric statisticsfor the behav- identity, marine bird and human hosts, virus infec- ioral sciences.McGraw-Hill. New York. tions and distribution in Peru. J. Parasitol. 66:312- VOGT, W. 1942. Aves marinas. Bol. C. Adm. Guano, 323. Peru 18:1-132. DUFFY, D. C. 1983. The ecology of tick parasitism on densely nesting Peruvian seabirds. Ecology 64: 1 lo- 119.

The Condor88:244-245 0 The CooperOrnithological Society 1986

LACK OF EFFECTS FROM SAMPLING BLOOD FROM SMALL BIRDS’

PETER W. STANGEL SavannahRiver EcologyLaboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29801

Key words: Blood sampling; Gallus gallus; Northern 3, a complete blood sample was drawn from the brachial Bobwhite;Colinus virginianus;House Sparrow; Passer do- vein in the left wing. One half of the complete blood sam- mesticus. ple was drawn from each wing in Treatment 4. Clotting could occasionallyprevent blood from being drawn from Blood samples are desirable for many types of omitho- one wing, and samplingfrom two wings could increasethe logical studies. For example, electrophoresisof chancefor infection or other complications.In Treatment found in blood can provide valuable information on pop- 5, the complete blood sample was taken from the left wing, ulation and breedingstructure. Because such research often and the fifth primary was pluckedfrom eachwing to obtain requiresnondestructive sampling, it is necessaryto know additional tissue from pulp present in the shaft. what effect blood sampling has on birds. I conducted a Twenty-five and quail and 15 to 17 sparrows seriesof experimentsto evaluatethe effectsof taking blood were randomly assignedto each treatment group. Broiler from small birds. Previous studieshave used mortality of and quail chickswere obtained from breedersimmediately free-ranging birds as an indicator of stress (Kerlin and after hatching. Adult House Sparrows were captured in Sussman1963, Raveling 1970, Utter et al. 1971, Bigler et June and July using mist nets and traps. Each bird was al. 1977, Gowaty and Karlin 1984). I used changein body banded for individual identification. weight of captive birds as a more sensitive indicator of Broiler chicks were weighed 24 hr after hatching, and stress.Three specieswere tested: domestic broiler chicks on each of the next six days. Blood samples were drawn (Gallus gallus), Northern Bobwhite chicks (Colinus vir- when chickswere five days old (av. wt. 113.9 g). Bobwhite giniunus),and adult House Sparrows(Passer domesticus). chickswere weighed 11 days after hatchingand then every I used five treatments to test for effects. In Treatment other day for the next 14 days. Blood was drawn at age 1, birds were weighed only. In Treatment 2, the brachial 15 days (av. wt. 50.3 g). House Sparrowswere weighed on vein of the left wing was punctured but blood was not the day of capture and every other day for the next 12 drawn, thus testing for possible complications due to in- days. Blood was taken on the sixth day of confinement fection but not due to withdrawal of blood. In Treatment (av. wt. 25.6 g). Bobwhites and chickenswere held separatelyas groups in two large pens and subjectedto similar environmental conditions. House Sparrows were held in five 1 m x 1 I Received 8 March 1985. Final acceptance27 January m x 0.5 m cageswith flexible plastic mesh siding. Broiler 1986. and bobwhite chicks were easily captured, but the spar- SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 245

TABLE 1. Summary of F-values from nested two-way TABLE 2. Mean body weights (g & 1 SE) for House ANOVAs of weight change among five different treat- Sparrows(HS), bobwhite chicks(BO), and domestic broil- ments designed to test for effects of various methods of er chicks(DB) before and after treatment applicationsde- blood withdrawal. signedto test for effectsof various methods of blood with- drawal. HOUX Domestic Source Sparrow Bobwhite broiler Weight Treatment 0.47 NS 1.10 NS 0.90 NS Treatment Species Before After Time 45.26+ 12,746.23* 5,956.89* 1. Control HS 25.7 + 0.2 25.0 i 0.2 Interaction 0.89 NS 0.94 NS 0.23 NS BO 43.4 * 0.8 66.1 * 1.0 NS indicatestests were not sigmficant. DB 100.9 * 1.7 161.8 * 3.5 P‘ 5 0.0001. Treatmentdf = 4,4;time df = 1,4. 2. Puncture HS 25.8 2 0.3 25.8 ? 0.4 vessel BO 45.3 f 0.7 69.1 f 0.9 DB 100.4 f 1.3 161.5 + 2.6 rows became extremely agitated when approached and 3. Blood HS 25.6 ? 0.4 25.6 + 0.4 were weighed at night when darkness concealed capture one wing BO 44.7 I 0.7 68.3 * 0.9 attempts. To randomize cage effects, sparrows were re- DB 102.8 * 1.5 164.4 i 2.9 turned after each weighing to a cage chosen randomly. 4. Blood HS 26.0 ? 0.3 25.3 * 0.3 Feeding and weighing times were standardized to reduce two wings BO 45.5 f 0.8 68.6 f 1.0 daily variation in body weight. DB 100.6 + 1.6 160.1 f 3.1 Several techniquesfor blood collection were reviewed: heart puncturethrough sternum (Utter et al. 197l), jugular 5. Blood and HS 25.2 f 0.3 24.5 f 0.3 vein (Kerlin 1964). wine vein (Bialer et al. 1977. Dorre- BO 43.5 + 0.7 66.8 * 0.9 ,, ” stein et al. 1978), and venous occipital sinus (Vuillaume DB 106.1 * 1.7 169.0 & 2.8 1983). Wing venipuncture was chosen as the preferred method, and blood was drawn from the brachial vein on the ventral side of the humerus. The overlying skin was sterilizedwith alcoholbefore beingpierced with a 25gauge rows flew about their cagesexcitedly when approached. hypodermic needle. Blood was drained into a hematocrit Repeated disturbancesof this type contributed to weight tube, and pressurewas applied to the vein until blood flow lossin House Sparrows.In the field, birds could be handled ceased. once briefly and released,thus reducing stress. Volumes of 0.7 cc in broiler chicks,0.25 cc in bobwhite chicks, and 0.2 cc in House Sparrows were withdrawn, Comments from M. H. Smith and K. T. Scribnergreatly approximating 7% or less of each individual’s total blood improved this manuscript. I am grateful to J. M. Novak volume based on body weight (Medway and Kare 1959, and J. E. Pinder for assistancewith analysesand to R. D. Sturke 1965:llO). Semlitsch for helpful comments on experimental design. Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of vari- D. J. Stouder assistedwith all aspectsof the study. This ante. Analyses were performed using the general linear researchwas supportedby contractDE-AC09-76SR008 19 model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Univer- Institute Inc.). There were no significant effects of with- sity of Georgia’s Institute of Ecology. drawal methods,but weight changedsignificantly over time LITERATURE CITED for all soecies(Table 1). The sianificanttime effect in broil- er and bobwhite chicks was likely due to rapid growth in BIGLER, W. J., G. L. How, AND L. A. SCRIBNER. 1977. these birds, which gained an average weight of 15% per Survival of Mourning Doves unaffected by with- day (Table 2). There were slight weight lossesin sparrows. drawina blood samnles.Bird-Banding 48: 168. Becauseof the weight changesin all species,the appro- DORRESTEI;, G. M., B. J: BLAAUBOER, N. A. MILTENBURG,

priate test of the effectsof withdrawal methods is the in- AND P. P. DELEY. 1978. A modified method ofbloodI__ teraction term between withdrawal methods and time. A sampling from birds. Lab. Anim. 12:193-194. significantinteraction term would indicate greaterrates of GOWATY, P. A., AND A. A. KARLIN. 1984. Multiple ma- weight changethrough time for different treatment groups. ternity and paternity in single broods of apparently The possibledeleterious effects of blood withdrawal would monogamousEastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). Behav. be indicated by slower growth rates in broiler and bob- Ecol. Sociobiol. 15:91-95. white chicks and greater weight loss rates in sparrows. KERLIN. R. E. 1964. Veninunctureof small birds. J. Amer-_-. There were, however, no significant treatment x time Vet. Med. Assoc. 144:870-874. interactions for any species,which indicates that the dif- KERLIN, R. E., AND 0. SUSSMAN. 1963. Capture, pro- ferent blood withdrawal procedures had no measurable cessing,and venipuncture of wild birds. Am. Vet. impact on weight for any species. Med. Assoc. Sci. Proc. Annu. Meet. All broiler and bobwhite chicks survived, but 15 House MEDWAY, W., AND M. R. JCARE. 1959. Water metabolism Sparrowsdied during the study period (seven before sam- of the growing domestic fowl with special reference pling, eight after). Mortality was not dependent on treat- to water balance. Poult. Sci. 38:631. ment (contingencyx2 = 0.53, df = 4, P > 0.95). In most RAVELING, D. G. 1970. Survival of Canada Geese un- cases,birds lost weight for severaldays before dying. Dead affected bv withdrawina blood samales. J. Wild1__-. birds weinhed sianificantlvless than surviving birds (22.2 Manage. 34:941-943. - g vs. 25.;g, t =-6.46, P 2 0.0001). - STURKE, P. D. 1965. Avian physiology. Comstock Pub- Withdrawal of blood from even small birds does not lishing Associates.Ithaca, NY. seem to causesignificant stress as indicated by changesin UTTER, J. M., E. A. LEFEBVRE,AND J. S. GREENLAW. 197 1. body weight or mortality rate. Prolongedconfinement and A technique for sampling blood from small passer- handling of wild birds may be more stressfulthan removal ines. Auk 88: 169-l 7 1. of blood. In the present study, overcrowding of House VUILLAUME, A. 1983. A new technique for taking blood Sparrows may have created additional stress. Although samplesfrom ducksand geese.Avian Pathol. 12:389- aggressionbetween birds was not observed, House Spar- 391.