2025/11/01 by Michael J. Roast, Grant C. McDonald, Tamás Székely +2 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Avian ecology and behavior #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/jav.03508
Portable devices, or biologgers, attached to animals are designed to record data on unobservable aspects of animal behaviour, physiology and ecology. However, wearing such devices is expected to be costly, and researchers must ascertain how such devices influence the behaviour, reproduction and survival of tagged individuals. GPS tracking devices with solar‐powered batteries are now available in the 1.6–2.0 g mass range, allowing for long‐term, high‐resolution spatial data collection in species as small as 32–40 g (assuming a relative device mass ≤ 5% of body mass). In this study, we investigate the impact of wearing GPS devices on adult Kentish plovers Anarhynchus alexandrinus weighing 34–46 g. To assess any potential adverse effects of tagging, we quantified 1) general behaviour with behavioural time‐budget assays, 2) detailed incubation behaviour with nest cameras, 3) reproductive outcomes, and 4) apparent survival from non‐breeding season resighting rates 4–5 months after initial deployment. In each case, tagged birds were compared with untagged, colour‐ringed control group birds. Despite wearing devices of up to 5% of body mass, we found no clear effects of tagging in any aspects of behaviour or life‐history that we assessed. Our results collectively support the conclusion that any impacts of tagging on individuals in this study system are negligible and appear unlikely to manifest demographic consequences.