Sa. Petrie et al., EFFECTS OF HARNESS-ATTACHED SATELLITE TRANSMITTERS ON CAPTIVE WHITEFACED DUCKS DENDROCYGNA-VIDUATA, South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 26(3), 1996, pp. 93-95
The effects of teflon harness-attached 30-g satellite transmitters on
the activity patterns, and body mass of captive whitefaced ducks Dendr
ocygna viduata were investigated. The diurnal activities of transmitte
r affixed birds (TAB)(140 h) and control birds (CB)(140 h) were monito
red in captivity over a period of 14 weeks. There were no within-week
differences in the behavioural patterns between TAB and CB (p > 0.05).
However, TAB spent a larger portion of the day preening (10.6%) than
CB (7.1%), (p < 0.001) when all weeks were combined. Increased preenin
g time by TAB did not compromise other activities as there were no oth
er differences in the composite behavioural pattern of TAB and CB (p >
0.05). Increases in body mass were higher for TAB (56.92 g) than CB (
12.80 g) (p = 0.006). Tenon harness-attached 30-g satellite PTTs have
a minor effect on activity patterns and do not adversely influence the
body mass, skin or feathers of captive whitefaced ducks.