Scientists made seabirds fly harder. Only 67% returned next year
Researchers studying black-legged kittiwakes in Alaska found that birds forced to expend more energy during breeding were significantly less likely to return the following year. The study provides evidence of 'energetic flexibility' in how animals manage survival and reproduction.
Why it matters
Understanding how environmental stressors affect animal survival is critical for conservation efforts and climate change impact assessments.
Researchers who clipped a few wing and tail feathers of wild black-legged kittiwakes in Alaska to make flying harder, have found that the effects lasted well beyond a single breeding season. The birds struggled to raise chicks that year, with only 67% returning to the breeding colony the following year. Researchers also found that those that did return were more likely to breed successfully after travelling farther during migration.The study was carried out by an international team led by researchers from Nagoya University in Japan. They followed 251 black-legged kittiwakes on Middleton Island, Alaska, between 2021 and 2024 to understand how extra energy demands during breeding affect the birds later in the year.
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