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A non-invasive technique to bleed incubating birds without trapping: A blood-sucking bug in a hollow egg

P.H. Becker·C.C. Voigt·J.M. Arnold·R. Nagel
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Abstract

We describe a non-invasive technique to obtain blood samples from incubating birds without trapping and handling. A larval instar of the blood-sucking bug Dipetalogaster maximus (Heteroptera) was put in a hollowed artificial egg which was placed in a common tern Sterna hirundo) nest. A gauze-covered hole in the egg allowed the bug to draw blood from the brood patch of breeding adults. We successfully collected 68 blood samples of sufficient amount (median=187 ??l). The daily success rate was highest during the early breeding season and averaged 34% for all trials. We could not detect any visible response by the incubating bird to the sting of the bug. This technique allows for non-invasive blood collection from bird species of various sizes without disturbance. ?? Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2005.

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P.H. Becker, C.C. Voigt, J.M. Arnold, R. Nagel. 2006-01-01. A non-invasive technique to bleed incubating birds without trapping: A blood-sucking bug in a hollow egg. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-005-0027-3

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