Moulting strategies of a long-distance migratory seabird, the Mediterranean Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea diomedea

摘要: Seabird moult is poorly understood because most species undergo at sea during the non-breeding season. We scored of wings, tail and body feathers on 102 Mediterranean Cory's Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea accidentally caught by longliners throughout year. Primary renewal was found to be simple descendant from proximal (P1) distal (P10) feather. Secondaries showed a more complex moulting pattern, with three different asynchronous foci: first starting innermost secondaries (S21), second middle (S5) latest outermost (S1). Rectrix started later stage feather (R1) expanding distally. Although few can moulted prelaying hatching, ventral dorsal clearly intensified chick rearing. Different sequences uncoupled phenology between primary secondary suggest that flight efficiency strong constraint factor in evolution strategies. Moreover, synchronous wings largely halves, no than one rectrix once. This result probably related differential sensitivity performance, ultimately derived aerodynamic functions. Finally, Shearwater females renewed earlier faster males, which may lower attendance females.