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Morphological versus acoustic analysis: what is the most efficient method for sexing yelkouan shearwaters Puffinus yelkouan?

Sexing monomorphic seabirds is particularly difficult, and available methods have various disadvantages, such as seasonal non-applicability or stress induction. The yelkouan shearwater Puffinus yelkouan is a poorly studied seabird endemic to the Mediterranean basin. Ecological and biological data ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ornithology 2007, Vol.148 (3), p.261-269
Main Authors: Bourgeois, Karen, Curé, Charlotte, Legrand, Jérôme, Gómez-Díaz, Elena, Vidal, Eric, Aubin, Thierry, Mathevon, Nicolas
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Sexing monomorphic seabirds is particularly difficult, and available methods have various disadvantages, such as seasonal non-applicability or stress induction. The yelkouan shearwater Puffinus yelkouan is a poorly studied seabird endemic to the Mediterranean basin. Ecological and biological data are needed for this species, thus necessitating the development of appropriate field methods. Here, we tested two methods for sexing yelkouan shearwaters: the classical morphological method and a new acoustic method. Morphological analysis demonstrated sexual differences in head, leg and feather measurements, with a high degree of overlap resulting in only 87.2% accuracy. In contrast, acoustic analysis showed that the highest value of the fundamental frequency (FC) and duration of the clear note of calls did not overlap between males and females. Yelkouan shearwaters can be sexed with 100% accuracy by measuring FC. If FC < 678.4 Hz, the bird is female, while if FC > 678.4 Hz, the bird is male. Other advantages of this method are its simplicity and non-invasiveness, which are particularly important for a potentially threatened species.
ISSN:2193-7192
1559-4491
2193-7206
DOI:10.1007/s10336-007-0127-3