Tracking Flights to Investigate Seabird Mortality Induced by Artificial Lights

Light pollution causes attraction and/or disorientation of seabirds, leading to mortality events due multiple threats. This is a poorly understood phenomenon, largely because the challenge track seabirds at night from their nests grounding light-polluted locations. New tracking technologies can inform about this phenomenon. Here, we used GPS transmitters with remote download flights Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis fledglings an inland experimental releasing site ocean. We released birds assigned three groups: tagged, tape-labelled, and control birds. assessed how both intrinsic (such as body mass, condition, size, down abundance) extrinsic (i.e., flight descriptors, such distance, straightness, duration, wind speed, or moon luminance) factors influenced light-induced groundings by using two datasets: one including groups another just tagged (as devices provide unique information). tested whether probability being grounded artificial lights was related factors. With use whole dataset, found that higher abundance had grounded. data revealed positively tortuosity overflown light levels. Also, slower were more likely be than fast flights. Tortuosity increased levels but decreased ambient moon. GPSs provided information on reaching ocean, substantial improvement previous studies requiring recapture individuals retrieve data. tracks ocean allowed us know some overflew coastal urban areas so landing sites novel scientific-based manage seabird induced lights.