Using stable isotope (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) values from feces and breath to infer shorebird diets.

ABSTRACT: The use of stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) from feces and breath offers potential as non-destructive tools to assess diets and nutrition. How stable isotope values derived from breath and feces compare with those from commonly used tissues, such as blood fractions and liver, remains uncertain, including understanding the metabolic routing of dietary nutrients. Here, we measured δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N from feces and δ¹³C of breath from captive Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis) and 26 species of wild-caught migratory shorebirds (n = 259 individuals) and compared them against isotopic values from blood and feathers. For captive birds fed either cereal- or fish-based diets, differences in δ¹³C between feces and

SUBMITTER: Kuwae T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9547797 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature