Avian Energetics in a Warming Arctic

Photo 1. Little auks breed at remote sites in the High Arctic, with densely aggregated breeding colonies forming on rocky, sloped terrain, creating some challenges for fieldwork. Here, little our Ukaleqarteq (Kap Höegh), East Greenland, study site rest lichen-adorned rocks above nesting crevasses, an excellent view. Far below, you can see small, brick-red cabin (bottom right), which shelters teams during field campaigns funded by French Polar Institute IPEV, as part of a long-term monitoring program. Especially face climate change, considerable variation sea ice conditions, affects availability copepod prey. Note open water—a low year. credit: David Grémillet. 2. How do track behavior and energy use animal when it flies or dives out view? We number advanced biologging approaches to monitor movement, behavior, expenditure they move between colony, foraging sea, even wintering grounds. These include triaxial accelerometers (described accompanying Ecology publication), time-depth recorders, GPSs, GLSs. auk equipped recorder poses rock, full gular pouch, indicating that anticipates feeding its chick. To upper right, GLS-equipped takes wing, left Jérôme Fort (project co-PI) releases GLS bird. (main photo right inset) Grémillet (left inset). 3. Increased flight costs account increased years, are forced commute further locate ice-associated speckle sky off iceberg background. Many these birds departing grounds, while others may be returning from trip circling colony. Fort. 4. Warm times, cold times. Considerable weather conditions occur season. top left, pair faces midnight sun open, ice-free sound glassily visible behind them. bird alights colony falling snow. At bottom looks over vanishing ice. project co-PI Grémillet, rifle dissuade approach polar bear, stands on-site station. Phot (upper two lower panels) Melissa Grunst (lower panel). 5. What is purpose modulating fluctuating conditions? Very likely, support reproductive success, means providing sufficient nutrients single young exercises wings preparation first flight. photographs illustrate article, “A keystone predator elevated warming Arctic”, L. Grunst, Andrea S. Akiko Kato, Paco Bustamante, Céline Albert, Émile Brisson-Curadeau, Manon Clairbaux, Marta Cruz-Flores, Sophie Gentès, Antoine Grissot, Samuel Perret, Eric Ste-Marie, Dariusz Jakubas, Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Fort, published Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4034.