Cayman Seabirds

Seabird tracking studies, Cayman Islands (DoE, Universities of Liverpool, Exeter and Deakin, NTCI).

Funders: Darwin Plus, Deakin University, BOU, BTO

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

2/4 #WSTC7 #DistSesh3 On the Cayman Islands, we found interspecific and intraspecific differences in foraging, but not diet, of closely-related booby species. Foraging in brown boobies differed with sex, but almost no differences were found in red-footed boobies #CaribSeabirds

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

3/4 #WSTC7 #DistSesh3 Sex differences in brown boobies may relate to kleptoparasitism: Video loggers revealed that larger females remain closer to shore than males, and were the only sex targeted by kleptoparasitic magnificent frigatebirds #CaribSeabirds

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

4/4 #WSTC7 #DistSesh3 Our regional project, involving multiple Caribbean nations, explores habitat use and connectivity of frigatebird populations. We are using this seabird to identify priority hotspots for protection, and provide opportunities to enhance regional conservation

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

1/4 #WSTC7 #DistSesh3 Seabird research in the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories is providing new insights into the movement behaviour and population status of tropical species, and aiding conservation management #CaribSeabirds @SEG_UL @Darwin_Defra @BirdsCaribbean

[Federico De Pascalis @fdepa1]

After 3 days of travelling, finally we are back on Little Cayman! Gotta track them all! #seabirds #ornithology #caymanislands @RhiAustin @CaymanSeabirds

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

Our fourth seabird tracking season (and new Darwin+ project) is now underway in the Caribbean! Scaling up to regionwide studies this year! @CaymanSeabirds @fdepa1 @SEG_UL @JaneHaakonsson @LouiseSoanes @BirdsCaribbean

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

Check out our new paper on flexible foraging strategies in magnificent frigatebirds! Thanks to @Darwin_Defra for funding this work. https://t.co/WrC8QLLKgC … @RhiAustin @fdepa1 @jon_seabirds @SVotier @JaneHaakonsson @RSPBRamsey

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

Our Caribbean magnificent frigatebird project is a go! Really excited to get back out to the area to do some awesome science! Cayman Islands, I'm incoming! @CaymanSeabirds @seabirds

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

New regional-scale project on movement behaviour of Caribbean seabirds about to start this spring! A big thank-you to the Darwin Initiative for funding this exciting study. #seabirds #seabirdsaturday #caribbean #biologging @RhiAustin @Segul @LouiseSoanes @fdepa1 @BirdsCaribbean

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

Looking forward to presenting the results of our frigatebird and booby tracking work at the International Seabird Group Conference in Liverpool in Sept: https://t.co/Qiccx8F1wv

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

Rhi after having processed an entire project’s worth of booby regurgitates!

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

@SEG_UL @RhiAustin @SamCPatrick @O_Hicks1 @AliceTrevail @Teri_BJones @Steph_MHarris @Ruth_EDunn Segals! 🙄

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

Footage of red-footed boobies captured from the back of a brown booby! First footage of mixed species feeding aggregations here! #caymanislands #seabirdersaturday @RhiAustin @fdepa1

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

...and now steadily being recovered containing some amazing footage! https://t.co/KZOM0bmiBv

[Federico De Pascalis @fdepa1]

Cameras flying around and collecting data! @CaymanSeabirds @RhiAustin @SEG_UL #seabirds #ornithology #biologging

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

Having a great time tracking brown boobies with video loggers this week on the #CaymanIslands. Stay posted for some amazing footage of a bird's-eye view! @RhiAustin @fdepa1 @SEG_UL @SVotier

[Federico De Pascalis @fdepa1]

Sadly, seabirds have to cope with #plasticpollution even on remote tropical paradises such #CaymanIslands. #SeabirderSaturday #ornithology

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

Registration for the International Seabird Group Conference (Liverpool, Sept. 2018) now open! https://t.co/tUGKEjfxcp

[Rhiannon Austin @RhiAustin]

Brown boobies are back and actively courting / nest building on the Cayman Islands. Looking forward to another tracking season in the New Year!

[Cayman Seabirds @CaymanSeabirds]

#BLS6 looking forward to the final talk by @pengchiara this afternoon

[Federico De Pascalis @fdepa1]

@O_Hicks1 exciting poster on energetic cost of parasitism! Cool stuff! #BLS6 @SEG_UL