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Site-Specific Incidence of Ring-Related Injuries in Rufous Fantails Rhipidura Rufifrons

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Site-Specific Incidence of Ring-Related Injuries in Rufous Fantails Rhipidura Rufifrons Ringing & Migration ISSN: 0307-8698 (Print) 2159-8355 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tram20 Site-specific incidence of ring-related injuries in Rufous Fantails Rhipidura rufifrons Lindsey Nietmann & Renee R. Ha To cite this article: Lindsey Nietmann & Renee R. Ha (2018) Site-specific incidence of ring- related injuries in Rufous Fantails Rhipidurarufifrons, Ringing & Migration, 33:1, 23-30, DOI: 10.1080/03078698.2018.1505109 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/03078698.2018.1505109 Published online: 16 Aug 2018. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 35 View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tram20 RINGING & MIGRATION 2018, VOL. 33, NO. 1, 23–30 https://doi.org/10.1080/03078698.2018.1505109 Site-specific incidence of ring-related injuries in Rufous Fantails Rhipidura rufifrons Lindsey Nietmann and Renee R. Ha Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Although colour-ringing is generally considered safe, a small proportion of avian species experience Received 16 November 2017 significant ring-related injuries. We report the first description of ring-related injuries in a rhipidurid Accepted 17 May 2018 flycatcher, the Rufous Fantail, and show that, in a population on Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands, switching from plastic to metal rings reduced but did not eliminate ring-related injuries. Over 30% of Rufous Fantails experienced severe injuries (tarsal swelling and leg loss) while wearing plastic rings and 11.7% experienced injuries while wearing metal rings. Injuries were not caused by improper fit of the rings and the use of metal rings in a separate population in Iluka, Australia, did not appear to cause any injuries. We suggest that injuries are caused by the accumulation of spider silk around the tarsus. Rufous Fantails may be more susceptible to injuries on Rota than in Iluka due to the frequency with which they encounter spider webs. We recommend avoiding the use of plastic rings on rhipidurids and related species and, more specifically, developing alternative marking schemes for the potential reintroduction of Rufous Fantails to Guam, where spider webs are abnormally abundant. Bird ringing has transformed our understanding of Contopus species (Haas & Hargrove 2003), indicating avian ecology by elucidating patterns of movement, that ecology or tarsal morphology may predispose life history and social behaviour. Thus, the benefits of flycatchers to ring-related injuries. Although leg ringing to science are believed to outweigh the risks injuries in other passerines have been attributed to of injury to ringed birds. However, for those species ill-fitting rings (Splittgerber & Clarke 2006, Griesser that experience ring-related injuries, ringing presents et al 2012), in several flycatcher species the plastic both ethical and scientific concerns, since an injury ring material itself appears to cause injuries can affect behaviour, reproduction, and survival (Koronkiewicz et al 2005, Pierce et al 2007). (Sedgwick & Klus 1997). Ring-related injuries include Splittgerber & Clarke (2006) found that, unlike metal foot entrapment (Berggren & Low 2004, Griesser et al rings, celluloid and Darvic plastic colour rings both 2012), tarsal swelling (Rothstein 1979, Splittgerber & generate static electricity, which can attract shed tarsal Clarke 2006, Pierce et al 2007), inflammation scales and other debris. Leg injuries occur when debris (Griesser et al 2012), abrasion (Lingle et al 1999, becomes lodged beneath the rings, causing swelling Berggren & Low 2004, Freifeld et al 2016), and and eventual constriction and amputation of the foot necrosis and amputation of the foot (Sedgwick & (Splittgerber & Clarke 2006, Pierce et al 2007). Griesser Klus 1997, Amat 1999, Lingle et al 1999, Pierce et al et al (2012) found that leg injuries in Purple-crowned 2007, Hache et al 2016). Fairy-wrens Malurus coronatus seemed to be caused by Flycatchers ringed with plastic colour rings appear spider silk accumulation under the rings. Using to be especially susceptible to injuries. In six species coloured metal rings instead of plastic rings is studied intensively, injury rates of colour-ringed recommended for reducing the prevalence of ring- flycatchers ranged from 9.6% to 35.3% of ringed related injuries in Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, and birds, with injuries occurring most often when birds has also been successful in several other species were ringed with two plastic rings on the same leg (Koronkiewicz et al 2005, Pierce et al 2007, Griesser (Sedgwick & Klus 1997, Pierce et al 2007). Ring- et al 2012). Here, we report observations of ring- related injuries have also been reported for Ochre- related leg injuries caused by spider silk accumulation bellied Flycatchers Mionectes oleagineus (Koronkiewicz in a rhipidurid flycatcher, the Rufous Fantail Rhipidura et al 2005), Leaden Flycatchers Myiagra rubecula (S. rufifrons, and make recommendations for future Tremont pers comm), and some Empidonax and colour-ringing studies in this and related species. CONTACT Lindsey Nietmann [email protected] © 2018 British Trust for Ornithology 24 L. NIETMANN AND R. R. HA Methods the cloacal protuberance (caudal orientation = female). We confirmed this method of sexing by observing We studied two Rufous Fantail (hereafter ‘fantail’) copulations between colour-ringed fantails. subspecies: R. r. mariae on the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA (14°09’04”N 145°12’54”E) and nominate rufifrons in Rota Iluka Nature Reserve, New South Wales, Australia (29° 24’19”S 153°21’34”E). Rota is a raised limestone island In 2013–14, we ringed fantails on Rota with a unique of volcanic origin, which experiences a tropical climate combination of size XF Darvic plastic colour rings year round (average high temperature 28–30°C). This (Avinet, Portland, USA; height x internal diameter island receives most of its 244 cm of annual rainfall 4.0 × 2.3 mm) and a size 0 United States Geological between July and January (NOAA 2017). Iluka is the Survey (USGS) numbered aluminium ring (5.5 × largest remnant of littoral rainforest in New South 2.1 mm). We use the phrase ‘plastic colour rings’ to Wales. Iluka receives an average of 146 cm of rain per refer to the ringing scheme in which we placed a USGS year, most of which falls between December and March, metal ring on one tarsus with a colour ring above it and experiences a subtropical climate with average and placed two colour rings on the other tarsus. summer temperatures of 20–26°C (Grantley 2010). On After resighting plastic colour-ringed birds with leg Rota, fantails are resident breeders that occupy stable, injuries (Fig 1) in April 2014, we ceased colour marking year-round territories. They breed throughout the year, and aimed to recapture colour-ringed birds. For all birds with a distinct peak in nesting between February and recaptured, we evaluated the severity of injuries using a June (pers obs). In Iluka, fantails occupy breeding six-point rating scale (Table 1), from 0 (clean, healthy territories between September and February before tarsus) to 5 (leg amputation). We evaluated stage 3–5 migrating to overwinter in the tropics (Higgins et al 2006). injuries by visual inspection of recaptured birds or At both study sites, we captured fantails using mist nets during observations of free-flying individuals (see (Avinet, Portland, USA). The first time a bird was captured, ‘resighting’ below). Stage 0–2 injuries could be evaluated we measured tarsus length using digital callipers only by capturing birds and inspecting their tarsi. (to 0.01 mm), mass using a digital balance (to 0.01 g), In 2014, we elected to remove all rings (USGS and and wing chord (flattened) and tail length, using a ruler, plastic) from recaptured individuals that had sustained a to the nearest 0.5 mm. We determined sex based on the significant injury (stages 3–5, Table 1)thatwas presence of a brood patch (females) or the orientation of considered to be due to the presence of the rings. For the Figure 1. Progression of ring-related injuries in Rufous Fantails: (a) a loose bracelet of spider silk forms around tarsus (above a ‘pin- striped’ aluminium ring); (b) the bracelet adheres to the tarsus as more silk accumulates; and (c) swelling occurs under the ring and a silk bracelet cuts into the tarsus causing eventual amputation of the foot. RINGING & MIGRATION 25 Table 1. Rating scale used to assess the severity of ring-related weeks in 2015 and 11 weeks in 2017) and 33 weeks in injuries. See Griesser et al (2012) for a description of the ringing- Iluka (five weeks in 2014, 12 weeks in 2015 and 16 hazard rating scale. weeks in 2016). During each sighting of a ringed Stage Hazard points Description bird, we used binoculars to note whether the rings 0 0 No injury or accumulation of material 1 0 Loose bracelet(s) of spider silk around tarsus were moving freely on each tarsus and observed 2 0 Spider silk wound tightly and adhered to tarsus behaviour to confirm that the bird could perch on 3 1 Swelling under and around rings 4 20 Loss of use of foot (difficulty perching) both legs. 5 20 Amputation of foot Data analysis remaining individuals, we removed any accumulated We used t-tests to compare body-size measurements of debris using forceps and removed only the plastic rings. males and females within each site and overall body- These individuals were then ringed with a single ‘pin- size measurements between sites. We compared striped’ aluminium ring (Fig 1a, Koronkiewicz et al Kaplan–Meier survival curves between sites using a 2005), on the leg opposite the USGS ring. We made pin- Cox proportional-hazard model (Therneau & striped rings by wrapping a plain aluminium ring Grambsch 2000).
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