Korean Journal of Ornithology (한국조류학회지)

The Ornithological Society of Korea (한국조류학회(鳥類))
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A non-invasive sexing method reveals the patterns of sex-specific incubation behavior in Saunders's Gulls (Saundersilarus saundersi)

비침습적 성감별 방법에 의한 검은머리갈매기(Saundersilarus saundersi)의 암수 포란행동

  • Joo, Eun-Jin (Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education) ;
  • Ha, Mi-Ra (Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education) ;
  • Jeong, Gilsang (National Institute of Ecology) ;
  • Yoon, Jongmin (Ecological Institute for Oriental Stork, Korea National University of Education)
  • 주은진 (한국교원대학교 생물교육과) ;
  • 하미라 (한국교원대학교 생물교육과) ;
  • 정길상 (국립생태원) ;
  • 윤종민 (한국교원대학교 황새생태연구원)
  • Received : 2018.07.13
  • Accepted : 2018.09.28
  • Published : 2018.12.31
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Abstract

Sexual dimorphism in birds refers to male-female differences in body size, plumage, color and/or behavior. In general, many seabirds, including the family of Laridae, are monomorphic in plumage-color, which makes the determination of sex difficult in the field because both parents also tend to share a great portion of parental care. The development of an inexpensive sexing tool facilitates understanding the degree of sex-specific parental care in the evolution of the life history. Here, we developed a non-invasive method for the determination of sex using the bill-head morphometric of known captive pairs and applied this tool to wild pairs to document factors underlying male-female parental care during the incubation period of Saunders's gulls (Saundersilarus saundersi). Males exhibited relatively larger bill-head ratios than their mates within naturally formed pairs in captivity, resulting in the determination of sex in12 wild pairs at the nest during the incubation period. Males and females equally shared the incubation role during the daytime, attending the nest at a high rate of 95%. However, the male's proportion of nest attentiveness greatly increased with time towards sunset, presumably reflecting the male duty for nighttime incubation. The present study provides a non-invasive method for the determination of sex in a monomorphic seagull species and highlights how male-female incubation behavior is associated with time of the day, rather than other ecological conditions.

조류에서 성적이형은 암수간 신체크기, 깃털, 색, 또는 행동의 차이를 의미한다. 일반적으로, 갈매기과를 포함한 많은 해양성조류는 깃털 색에서 성적동형을 보이며, 암수가 양육을 공유하기 때문에 야외에서 성감별을 어렵게 만든다. 쉽고 비침습적인 성감별 도구의 개발은 생활사의 진화에서 암수 양육의 정도를 이해하는데 유용하게 사용될 수 있다. 본 연구는 사육 검은머리갈매기(Saundersilarus saundersi) 번식쌍의 부리-머리 형태를 이용하여 비침습적 성감별 도구를 개발하고, 이를 활용하여 야생 번식쌍의 암수 포란행동의 변이를 설명하는 요인을 분석하였다. 사육상태에서 자연적으로 형성된 쌍에서, 수컷은 배우자 암컷에 비해 상대적으로 큰 부리-머리 비율을 나타내었으며, 이 성감별 도구를 이용하였을 때 성공적으로 야생 12 번식쌍의 성감별을 수행하였다. 야생수컷과 암컷은 함께 낮시간의 95%를 포란을 위해 둥지를 지켰다. 그러나, 수컷의 포란비율은 일몰시간이 가까워지면서 급격하게 증가하였는데, 이는 수컷의 야간 포란의 가능성을 내재하고 있는 것으로 사료된다. 결론적으로, 본 연구는 성적동형인 검은머리갈매기의 비침습적 성감별 도구를 개발하였으며, 이를 활용 하였을때 야생 번식쌍의 암수 포란행동의 변이가 다른 생태적인 요인보다는 일주기와 연관성이 높다는 것을 보여주고 있다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : National Research Foundation of Korea

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