Parental infanticide by egg destruction in Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius

Hailley Danielson-Owczynsky; Hannah Madden; Patrick G.R. Jodice

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USGS · 70256467

Parental infanticide by egg destruction in Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius

Hailley Danielson-Owczynsky·Hannah Madden·Patrick G.R. Jodice

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Abstract

Avian reproduction is a process that requires extensive energetic input by parents, particularly in pelagic seabirds. Parental infanticide has rarely been reported in pelagic seabirds, and its frequency among taxa is therefore difficult to determine. Using data from remote cameras, two cases of probable parental infanticide in Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus were captured on Sint Eustatius in the 2021–2022 breeding season. Both cases are presented with images collected from remote cameras as evidence. While appearing counterproductive, parental infanticide may provide an alternative reproduction strategy that favors lifetime reproductive success over short term success.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 17.463240631776415° to 17.526236492388534° latitude; -63.00471344727944° to -62.94469941406847° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Hailley Danielson-Owczynsky, Hannah Madden, Patrick G.R. Jodice. 2023. Parental infanticide by egg destruction in Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70256467

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