Integument colouration in relation to persistent organic pollutants and body condition in arctic breeding black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

Vertebrates cannot synthetize carotenoids de novo but have to acquire themthrough their diet. In birds, carotenoids
are responsible for the yellow to red colouration of many secondary sexual traits. They are also involved in physiological functions such as immunostimulation and immunoregulation. Consequently, carotenoid-based colouration is very often considered as a reliable signal for health and foraging abilities. Although a few studies have suggested that
carotenoid-based coloured traits could be sensitive to environmental pollution such as persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) contamination, the relationships between pollutants and colouration remain unclear.Here, we examined the
relationships between the colouration of carotenoid-based integuments and individual POP levels in pre-laying female
black-legged kittiwakes from very high latitudes. In this area, these arctic seabirds are exposed to high POPs
contamination. Additionally,we investigated the relationships between colouration and body condition, a frequently
used index of individual quality.We found a negative relationship between POP levels and several components of
integument colouration: saturation of eye-ring, gapes and tongue, suggesting that POPs could disrupt colouration of
labile integuments in female kittiwakes. In addition,we found that females in better body condition displayedmore
orange and brighter gapes and tongue than females in poor body condition. These results demonstrate that hue and
brightness are sensitive to the current health and nutritional status of female kittiwakes. Overall, our study shows
that carotenoid-based colour integuments can be affected by several environmental-driven variables.
© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Arctic
Seabird
Carotenoid
Contamination
Pesticide
PCB