Are morphometrics sufficient for estimating age of pre-fledging birds in the field? A test using common terns (Sterna hirundo).

ABSTRACT: Age is a key component of fitness, affecting survival and reproductive capacities. Where it is not possible to study known individuals from birth, morphometrics (predominantly patterns of plumage development for birds) are most often used to estimate age. Although criteria for age estimations exist for many species, the degree to which these criteria improve the precision of estimates remains to be tested, restricting their widespread acceptance. We develop a photographic tool for estimating ages of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks and test it using 100 human observers of varying prior experience across four breeding colonies (three North American sites and one European site) and under controlled laboratory conditions. We followed the design approach of other morphometric tools, expandi

SUBMITTER: Wails CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4222966 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature