Abstract

During the 2011 Palmyra Atoll rat eradication project, a vulnerable shorebird, the bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) (n=16), was captured and held in captivity as an attempt to reduce non-target mortality. Blood values (PCV, TP, cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, calcium, uric acid, non-esterified fatty acids, and beta-hydroxybutyrate) were analyzed at capture and at 2 wk post captivity to evaluate the physiologic response to capture/captivity related stress and no statistically significant differences were found between time points or birds (p<0.05). A subset of birds were captured post bait application and with rodenticide (brodifacoum) bait in their crops and/or signs of bait stains around their cloaca. These birds were treated successfully with oral vitamin K during captivity and all were resighted >3 mo post-release. A novel avian ophthalmic trematode fluke was also discovered which caused clinical disease in captive birds. To the authors knowledge this is the first successful capture and captive maintenance of a shorebird species to reduce non-target mortality during a rat eradication project. Additionally, this is the first documentation of long-term survival of an avian species post-exposure to brodifacoum.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Kate Stadler of The Nature Conservancy for her generous support of the researchers on this project.

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