Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Using Deuterium Oxide as a Non-Invasive, Non-Lethal Tool for Assessing Body Composition and Water Consumption in Mammals
08:22

Using Deuterium Oxide as a Non-Invasive, Non-Lethal Tool for Assessing Body Composition and Water Consumption in Mammals

Published on: February 20, 2020

Determining seabird body condition using nonlethal measures.

Shoshanah R Jacobs1, Kyle Elliott, Mélanie F Guigueno

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology : PBZ
|January 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Development and Validation of a Universal Eating Monitor (UEM) for Distinguishing the Intake of Multiple Foods and Macronutrients.

Nutrients·2025
Same author

A consensus guide to preclinical indirect calorimetry experiments.

Nature metabolism·2025
Same author

Effects of graded calorie restriction: XXII. Impact of long-term graded calorie restriction on tissue partitioning, digestive efficiency, bone health, and coordination in male C57BL/6J mice.

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences·2025
Same author

Energy Expenditure of Male Soccer Players from an English Premier League Team Does Not Differ between One-Game- and Two-Game-Per-Week Microcycles.

Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2025
Same author

The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer's Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment.

Genome biology and evolution·2025
Same author

Novel glycoprotein SBSPON suppressed bladder cancer through the AKT signal pathway by inhibiting HSPA5 membrane translocation.

International journal of biological sciences·2025
Same journal

Leukocyte Concentrations Are Isometric in Reptiles Unlike in Endotherms.

Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ·2024
Same journal

Commentary on the Biphasic Ontogenetic Metabolic Scaling of the American Eel (<i>Anguilla rostrata</i>).

Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ·2024
Same journal

DNA Methylation and Counterdirectional Pigmentation Change following Immune Challenge in a Small Ectotherm.

Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ·2024
Same journal

IGF-1 Levels Increase during an Immune but Not an Oxidative Challenge in an Avian Model, the Japanese Quail.

Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ·2024
Same journal

Infection Causes Trade-Offs between Development and Growth in Larval Amphibians.

Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ·2024
Same journal

Environmental Stress and the Morphology of <i>Daphnia pulex</i>.

Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ·2024
See all related articles

Accurately measuring bird body condition is vital for breeding studies. Isotopic dilution is recommended for determining energy reserves in birds with less than 15% body lipids, outperforming mass and plasma measures.

Area of Science:

  • Ornithology
  • Animal Ecology
  • Physiological Ecology

Background:

  • Accurate assessment of energy reserves (body condition) is crucial for understanding breeding success in wild bird populations.
  • Longitudinal studies necessitate nonlethal methods for measuring body condition, but these techniques often lack independent verification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the accuracy of nonlethal methods (body mass, size-corrected mass, plasma lipids, isotopic dilution) for estimating total body lipid content in three seabird species.
  • To determine the reliability of these methods across species with varying lipid percentages and during the breeding season.

Main Methods:

  • Collected data on body mass, size-corrected mass (SCM), plasma lipids, and isotopic dilution in thick-billed murres, northern fulmars, and black-legged kittiwakes.

More Related Videos

Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment
07:57

Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment

Published on: September 11, 2018

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)
07:39

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)

Published on: July 22, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Using Deuterium Oxide as a Non-Invasive, Non-Lethal Tool for Assessing Body Composition and Water Consumption in Mammals
08:22

Using Deuterium Oxide as a Non-Invasive, Non-Lethal Tool for Assessing Body Composition and Water Consumption in Mammals

Published on: February 20, 2020

Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment
07:57

Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment

Published on: September 11, 2018

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)
07:39

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)

Published on: July 22, 2018

  • Compared these measures against extracted total body lipid content.
  • Analyzed data using regression analyses and compared findings with a literature review of 17 bird species.

    • Main Results:

    • Size-corrected mass (SCM) and body mass were better predictors of total body lipids in species with high lipid content (northern fulmars) than in those with low lipid content (murres, kittiwakes).
    • Isotopic dilution was a superior predictor of total and percent body lipids in murres compared to mass, SCM, or plasma lipids.
    • Total body lipids decreased during the breeding season, while plasma lipid concentrations showed varied responses, suggesting lipid mobilization for breeding.

    Conclusions:

    • SCM is a reliable index of energy stores only when lipid content exceeds 15% of body mass.
    • Isotopic dilution is the recommended method for determining energy reserves in birds with lipid content below 15%.
    • Plasma lipid markers show variable reliability and are less accurate than isotopic dilution for precise energy reserve assessment.