Sexual size dimorphism in Black-Browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophris) incidentally killed during longline operations

Patricia Gandini; Esteban Frere; M. Fernanda García; Juan P. Seco Pon

doi:10.56178/eh.v24i1.728

Articles Published 01 August 2009 https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v24i1.728

Sexual size dimorphism in Black-Browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophris) incidentally killed during longline operations

Argentina Black-Browed Albatross Discriminant Analysis sexing sexual size dimorphism

Patricia Gandini Centro de Investigaciones de Puerto Deseado, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Avenida Prefectura s/n, CC 238, 9050 Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz, Argentina | Wildlife Conservation Society. 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA

Esteban Frere Centro de Investigaciones de Puerto Deseado, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Avenida Prefectura s/n, CC 238, 9050 Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz, Argentina | Wildlife Conservation Society. 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA

M. Fernanda García Centro de Investigaciones de Puerto Deseado, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Avenida Prefectura s/n, CC 238, 9050 Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz, Argentina

Juan P. Seco Pon Avenida Colón 1906 1º K, 7600 Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

Black-Browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophris) displays little sexual dimorphism and although males are usually larger than females, sexing birds by direct observation is difficult. We evaluated sexual size dimorphism in this species and provided a reliable method to predict the sex of measured birds. Discriminant Analysis of six morphometric measurements of adult birds indicated that only three variables (bill depth, head width and nape) were the most accurate variables to use in a discriminant function model, predicting sex with 87% of reliability.

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References

BELDA EJ AND SANCHEZ A (2001) Seabird mortality onlongline fisheries in the western Mediterranean:factors affecting bycatch and proposed mitigationmeasures. Biological Conservation 98:357–363
BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2008) Species factsheet:Thalassarche melanophrys. BirdLife International,Cambridge (URL: http://www.birdlife.org/)
BROOKE M (2004) Albatrosses and petrels across the world.Oxford University Press, Oxford
BROTHERS N (1991) Albatross mortality and associatedbait loss in Japanese longline fishery in the South-ern Ocean. Biological Conservation 55:255–268
CHEREL Y, WEIMERSKIRCH H AND DUHAMEL G (1996)Interactions between longline vessels and seabirdsin Kerguelen waters and a method to reduce sea-bird mortality. Biological Conservation 75:63–70
CONROY JW (1972) Ecological aspects of the biologyof the giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus, in the mari-time Antarctic. British Antarctic Survey Report 75:1–74
COPELLO S, QUINTANA F AND SOMOZA G (2006) Sexdetermination and sexual size dimorphism in South-ern Giant-Petrels (Macronectes giganteus) fromPatagonia, Argentina. Emu 106:141–146
CROXALL JP (1982) Sexual dimorphism in snow petrelsPagodroma nivea. Notornis 29:171–180
CROXALL JP (1991) Constraints in reproduction inalbatrosses. Pp. 279–302 in: BELL BD, COSSEE RO,FLUX JEC, HEATHER BD, HITCHMOUGH RA, ROBERTSONCJR AND WILLIAMS MJ (eds) Acta XX Congressus In-ternationalis Ornithologici. New Zealand Ornitholog-ical Congress Trust Board, Wellington
CROXALL JP AND PRINCE PA (1990) Recoveries of Wan-dering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans ringed at SouthGeorgia 1958–1986. Ringing & Migration 11:43–51
FAIRBAIRN J AND SHINE R (1993) Patterns of sexual sizedimorphism in seabirds of the Southern Hemi-sphere. Oikos 68:139–145
GANDINI P AND FRERE E (2006) Spatial and temporalpatterns in the bycatch of seabirds in the Argen-tinean longline fishery. Fishery Bulletin 104:482–485
GONZÁLEZ-SOLÍS J (2004) Sexual size dimorphism innorthern giant petrels: ecological correlates andscaling. Oikos 105:247–254
HAIR JF JR, ANDERSON RE, TATHAM RL AND BLACK WC(1995) Multivariate data analysis. Fourth edition. Pren-tice Hall, Englewood Cliffs
HULL CL (1996) Morphometric indices for sexing adultRoyal Eudyptes schlegeli and Rockhopper E.chrysocome penguins at Macquarie Island. MarineOrnithology 24:23–27
JODICE PGR, LANCTOT RB, GILL VA, ROBY DD AND HATCHA (2000) Sexing adult Blacklegged Kittiwakes byDNA, behavior, and morphology. Waterbirds23:405–415
JOUVENTIN P AND LEQUETTE B (1990) The dance of theWandering Albatross Diomedea exulans. Emu90:123–131
MARCHANT S AND HIGGINS PJ (1990) Handbook of Aus-tralian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Volume 1.Ratites to ducks. Oxford University Press, Melbourne
PICKERING SPC AND BERROW SD (2001) Courtshipbehavior of the Wandering Albatross Diomedeaexulans at Bird Island, South Georgia. Marine Orni-thology 29:29–37
QUINTANA F, SOMOZA G, UHART M, CASSARÁ C, GANDINIP AND FRERE E (2003) Sex determination of adultRock Shags by molecular sexing and morphometricparameters. Journal of Field Ornithology 74:370–375
SECO PON JP, GANDINI P AND FAVERO M (2007) Effect oflongline configuration on seabird mortality in theArgentine semi-pelagic Kingclip Genypterus blacodesfishery. Fisheries Research 85:101–105
SVAGELJ WS AND QUINTANA F (2007) Sexual size dimor-phism and sex determination by morphometricmeasurements in breeding Imperial shags (Phalac-rocorax atriceps). Waterbirds 30:97–102
TASKER ML, CAMPHUYSEN CJ, COOPER J, GARTHE S, MON-TEVECCHI WA AND BLABER SJM (2000) The impacts offishing on marine birds. ICES Journal of Marine Science57:531–547
WAUGH SM, PRINCE PA AND WEIMERSKIRCH H (1999)Geographical variation in morphometric of Black-browed and Grey-headed albatrosses from foursites. Polar Biology 22:189–194
WEIMERSKIRCH H AND JOUVENTIN P (1987) Populationdynamics of the wandering albatross, Diomedeaexulans, of the Crozet Islands: causes and conse-quences of the population decline. Oikos 49:315–322

How to cite

Patricia Gandini, Esteban Frere, M. Fernanda García , Juan P. Seco Pon (2009). Sexual size dimorphism in Black-Browed Albatross (Diomedea melanophris) incidentally killed during longline operations. El Hornero, Vol. 24 No. 1 (2009), 43-46. https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v24i1.728

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[1] BELDA EJ AND SANCHEZ A (2001) Seabird mortality onlongline fisheries in the western Mediterranean:factors affecting bycatch and proposed mitigationmeasures. Biological Conservation 98:357–363

[2] BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL (2008) Species factsheet:Thalassarche melanophrys. BirdLife International,Cambridge (URL: http://www.birdlife.org/)

[3] BROOKE M (2004) Albatrosses and petrels across the world.Oxford University Press, Oxford

[4] BROTHERS N (1991) Albatross mortality and associatedbait loss in Japanese longline fishery in the South-ern Ocean. Biological Conservation 55:255–268

[5] CHEREL Y, WEIMERSKIRCH H AND DUHAMEL G (1996)Interactions between longline vessels and seabirdsin Kerguelen waters and a method to reduce sea-bird mortality. Biological Conservation 75:63–70

[6] CONROY JW (1972) Ecological aspects of the biologyof the giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus, in the mari-time Antarctic. British Antarctic Survey Report 75:1–74

[7] COPELLO S, QUINTANA F AND SOMOZA G (2006) Sexdetermination and sexual size dimorphism in South-ern Giant-Petrels (Macronectes giganteus) fromPatagonia, Argentina. Emu 106:141–146

[8] CROXALL JP (1982) Sexual dimorphism in snow petrelsPagodroma nivea. Notornis 29:171–180

[9] CROXALL JP (1991) Constraints in reproduction inalbatrosses. Pp. 279–302 in: BELL BD, COSSEE RO,FLUX JEC, HEATHER BD, HITCHMOUGH RA, ROBERTSONCJR AND WILLIAMS MJ (eds) Acta XX Congressus In-ternationalis Ornithologici. New Zealand Ornitholog-ical Congress Trust Board, Wellington

[10] CROXALL JP AND PRINCE PA (1990) Recoveries of Wan-dering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans ringed at SouthGeorgia 1958–1986. Ringing & Migration 11:43–51

[11] FAIRBAIRN J AND SHINE R (1993) Patterns of sexual sizedimorphism in seabirds of the Southern Hemi-sphere. Oikos 68:139–145

[12] GANDINI P AND FRERE E (2006) Spatial and temporalpatterns in the bycatch of seabirds in the Argen-tinean longline fishery. Fishery Bulletin 104:482–485

[13] GONZÁLEZ-SOLÍS J (2004) Sexual size dimorphism innorthern giant petrels: ecological correlates andscaling. Oikos 105:247–254

[14] HAIR JF JR, ANDERSON RE, TATHAM RL AND BLACK WC(1995) Multivariate data analysis. Fourth edition. Pren-tice Hall, Englewood Cliffs

[15] HULL CL (1996) Morphometric indices for sexing adultRoyal Eudyptes schlegeli and Rockhopper E.chrysocome penguins at Macquarie Island. MarineOrnithology 24:23–27

[16] JODICE PGR, LANCTOT RB, GILL VA, ROBY DD AND HATCHA (2000) Sexing adult Blacklegged Kittiwakes byDNA, behavior, and morphology. Waterbirds23:405–415

[17] JOUVENTIN P AND LEQUETTE B (1990) The dance of theWandering Albatross Diomedea exulans. Emu90:123–131

[18] MARCHANT S AND HIGGINS PJ (1990) Handbook of Aus-tralian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Volume 1.Ratites to ducks. Oxford University Press, Melbourne

[19] PICKERING SPC AND BERROW SD (2001) Courtshipbehavior of the Wandering Albatross Diomedeaexulans at Bird Island, South Georgia. Marine Orni-thology 29:29–37

[20] QUINTANA F, SOMOZA G, UHART M, CASSARÁ C, GANDINIP AND FRERE E (2003) Sex determination of adultRock Shags by molecular sexing and morphometricparameters. Journal of Field Ornithology 74:370–375

[21] SECO PON JP, GANDINI P AND FAVERO M (2007) Effect oflongline configuration on seabird mortality in theArgentine semi-pelagic Kingclip Genypterus blacodesfishery. Fisheries Research 85:101–105

[22] SVAGELJ WS AND QUINTANA F (2007) Sexual size dimor-phism and sex determination by morphometricmeasurements in breeding Imperial shags (Phalac-rocorax atriceps). Waterbirds 30:97–102

[23] TASKER ML, CAMPHUYSEN CJ, COOPER J, GARTHE S, MON-TEVECCHI WA AND BLABER SJM (2000) The impacts offishing on marine birds. ICES Journal of Marine Science57:531–547

[24] WAUGH SM, PRINCE PA AND WEIMERSKIRCH H (1999)Geographical variation in morphometric of Black-browed and Grey-headed albatrosses from foursites. Polar Biology 22:189–194

[25] WEIMERSKIRCH H AND JOUVENTIN P (1987) Populationdynamics of the wandering albatross, Diomedeaexulans, of the Crozet Islands: causes and conse-quences of the population decline. Oikos 49:315–322