Behavioural and physiological monitoring of sea ducks over the annual cycle

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Migratory birds cross frontiers to breed, moult and winter at various locations over large geographic scales (300-8000 km). They are well known for their migratory activity to occur at about the same time every year, which may be explained by the influence of timekeeping mechanism of exogenous (temperature, food abundance etc.) and endogenous nature. In the proposed research program, my aim is to describe the annual cycle of sea ducks and understand how the various biological phases are integrated chronologically and energetically in relation to breeding success. I will use miniature data logging systems to monitor physiological and behavioural parameters of wild and captive individuals in order to determine the presence of endogenous clocks as a timekeeping mechanism. It is important to understands how migratory birds adjust their seasonal activities in relation to environmental fluctuations as it could unravel the strategy by which they may adapt to climate change.