Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)

We examined possible mechanisms underlying seasonal stress modulation in Lapland longspurs ( Calcarius lapponicus), a species that breeds and molts (the energetically costly replacement of feathers) in the Alaskan Arctic. Free-living Lapland longspurs show dramatically reduced maximal corticosterone release during molt compared with the breeding season, an effect lost in captive birds. Neither changes in corticosterone binding proteins nor the overall condition of the bird (assessed by weight and fat storage) can explain different seasonal corticosterone responses. Adrenal insensitivity also does not fully explain reduced maximal output because exogenous ACTH enhanced corticosterone release during molt. Exogenous ACTH in molting birds, however, cannot stimulate corticosterone to stress-induced levels during breeding, implying reduced adrenal capacity. Lapland longspur pituitaries appeared to respond to exogenous corticotropin-releasing factor, arginine vasotocin, and mesotocin (the avian equivalents of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin) during molt, suggesting that a mechanism upstream of the pituitary blunts corticosterone release. Taken together, these results indicate that seasonal modulation of corticosterone release in this species is controlled at multiple sites in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

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The stress response is attenuated during inclement weather in parental, but not in pre-parental, Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) breeding in the Low Arctic

Hormones and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.018 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 83 ◽

pp. 68-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Jesse S. Krause ◽

Jonathan H. Pérez ◽

Helen E. Chmura ◽

Simone L. Meddle ◽

Kathleen E. Hunt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Inclement Weather ◽

Low Arctic ◽

Calcarius Lapponicus

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Corticosterone Responses in Wild Birds: The Importance of Rapid Initial Sampling

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/104.1.129 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 129-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

L. Michael Romero ◽

Robin C. Romero

Keyword(s):

Stress Responses ◽

Passer Domesticus ◽

Free Living ◽

House Sparrows ◽

Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽

Elapsed Time ◽

Corticosterone Response ◽

Calcarius Lapponicus ◽

Initial Sampling ◽

Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

Abstract Corticosterone concentrations in birds usually rise in response to capture and handling, and it is often assumed that this change is predictable. We tested this assumption by leaving Gambel's White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), and Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) in nets or traps for 15 min following capture and comparing their corticosterone response over the next 60 min with birds removed immediately. White-crowned Sparrows and House Sparrows left in mist nets for 15 min and then bled had significantly elevated corticosterone concentrations compared to controls that were immediately removed from the net and bled. Corticosterone concentrations over the next 45 min of handling and restraint were similar between groups. In another experiment, White-crowned Sparrows and Lapland Longspurs were captured using seed-baited Potter traps. The corticosterone response of White-crowned Sparrows left in the trap for 15 min did not differ from White-crowned Sparrows removed immediately. Leaving Lapland Longspurs in the trap had no effect in the initial 10 min of handling and restraint, but at 30 and 60 min these birds had significantly lower corticosterone concentrations than longspurs removed immediately from the trap. These data indicate that failing to immediately remove birds from nets or traps can alter the corticosterone response to subsequent stressful stimuli in unpredictable ways. This result emphasizes that the elapsed time from capture is a critical variable in assessing stress responses in free-living birds. Respuestas de los Niveles de Corticosterona en Aves Silvestres: La Importancia de un Muestreo Inicial Inmediato Resumen. Las concentraciones de corticosterona en las aves usualmente aumentan en respuesta a la captura y manipulación, y muchas veces se supone que estos cambios son predecibles. Pusimos a prueba esta suposición reteniendo individuos de las especies Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, Passer domesticus y Calcarius lapponicus en redes o trampas durante los 15 minutos subsecuentes a la captura y comparamos sus respuestas en los niveles de corticosterona durante los siguientes 60 minutos con las de individuos removidos inmediatamente de las trampas y redes. Las muestras de sangre de Z. l. gambelii y P. domesticus que fueron obtenidas después de 15 minutos de retención en las redes tuvieron niveles de corticosterona significativamente más altos que las de los individuos control obtenidas inmediatamente después de la captura. Durante los 45 minutos siguientes de manipulación y captura, las concentraciones de corticosterona fueron similares entre los dos grupos. En otro experimento, Z. l. gambelii y C. lapponicus fueron capturados mediante trampas “Potter” cebadas con semillas. La respuesta en los niveles de corticosterona de Z. l. gambelii no fue diferente entre individuos retenidos en las trampas por 15 minutos e individuos removidos inmediatamente. Para individuos de C. lapponicus retenidos en las trampas no hubo un efecto durante los 10 minutos iniciales de manipulación y captura, pero a los 30 y 60 minutos estas aves tuvieron concentraciones significativamente menores que los individuos removidos inmediatamente. Estos resultados indican que al no remover inmediatamente a las aves de las redes o trampas, las respuestas en los niveles de corticosterona a estímulos estresantes pueden verse alteradas de una manera impredecible. Estos resultados enfatizan que en aves silvestres, el lapso de tiempo desde la captura es una variable crítica en la determinación de las respuestas al estrés.

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Growth Rate and Development of Endothermy in the Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax Nivalis) and Lapland Longspur (Calcarius Lapponicus) at Barrow, Alaska

Ecology ◽

10.2307/1936105 ◽

1964 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 520-528 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

William J. Maher

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Snow Bunting ◽

Plectrophenax Nivalis ◽

Calcarius Lapponicus

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Unusual late July observation of a fledgling Lapland longspur in low Arctic Greenland following the cool spring of 2018

Arctic Science ◽

10.1139/as-2018-0031 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 161-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eric Post ◽

Eva Beyen ◽

Pernille Sporon Bøving ◽

R. Conor Higgins ◽

Christian John ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Term Study ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Strong Negative Association ◽

Candidate Predictor ◽

Low Arctic ◽

Calcarius Lapponicus ◽

Second Clutch ◽

Annual Period ◽

Rule Out

We report an observation of a flightless fledgling Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus (Linnaeus, 1758)) at a long-term study site near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, in late July 2018. Based on our observations of longspur nests at the site dating back to 1993, we estimate that the fledgling observed in 2018 may have originated from a nest initiated 12–37 d later than nesting in previous years. Onset of spring in 2018 was late, but comparable with other years in which longspur nests were observed a full calendar month earlier than in 2018. An analysis including multiple candidate predictor variables revealed a strong negative association between estimated longspur nest initiation dates and mean May temperature, as well as a weaker association with the length of the annual period of vegetation green up at the site. Given the limitations of our data, however, we are unable to assign causality to the 2018 observation, and cannot rule out other possibilities, such as that it may have resulted from a second clutch.

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