Abstract
Plasma metabolites such as triglyceride (TRIG) can be useful indicators of when birds are in a state of fattening or fasting, although the challenges of processing, storing, and analyzing field-collected plasma samples may limit its use by field ornithologists. We evaluated the use of a field-usable point-of-care (POC) analyzer (CardioChek PA analyzer) for measuring TRIG concentrations in the plasma of male American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) captured during their spring courtship period and compared those measures to those from standard laboratory analyses of the same plasma samples. Plasma TRIG measured in the field with the POC analyzer was highly repeatable and precise, but not accurate compared to lab-measured values. The inaccuracy of the POC analyzer may be due to the effects of environmental conditions on the analyzer’s function or to specific problems associated with analyzing woodcock blood. We conclude that the field-usable POC analyzer does not provide an accurate alternative method for measuring circulating TRIG in woodcock during cold springs in northern breeding areas. Given the analyzer has proven accurate for estimating circulating TRIG in some other bird species, we outline a two-phase pilot study that field ornithologists can use to understand the operating limits of this analyzer for their target species prior to field use.
Zusammenfassung
Messung von Triglyceriden bei frei lebenden Vögeln: Test und Bewertung eines vor Ort im Feld einsetzbaren Analysators bei Kanadaschnepfen
Plasmastoffwechselprodukte wie z.B. Triglyceride (TRIG) können nützliche Indikatoren dafür sein, wann sich Vögel in einem Gewichtszunahme- oder –abnahmestadium befinden, obwohl die Probleme bei der Verarbeitung, Lagerung und Analyse von im Feld gesammelten Plasmaproben ihre Verwendung durch Ornithologen im Feld vermutlich einschränken. Wir testeten die Benutzung eines vor Ort verwendbaren Analysegeräts (CardioChek PA-Analysator) zur Messung der TRIG-Konzentrationen im Plasma männlicher Kanadaschnepfen (Scolopax minor), die während ihrer Balzzeit im Frühjahr gefangen wurden und verglichen diese Messwerte mit denen von Standard-Laboranalysen derselben Plasmaproben. Die mit dem Analysegerät im Feld unmittelbar gemessene Plasma-TRIG-Konzentration war hochgradig wiederholbar und präzise, aber nicht wirklich genau im Vergleich zu den im Labor gemessenen Werten. Die Ungenauigkeit beim Vor-Ort-Analysegerät kann auf Einwirkungen der Umgebungsbedingungen auf die Funktion des Geräts oder auf spezifische Probleme im Zusammenhang mit der Analyse von Kanadaschnepfenblut zurückzuführen sein. Wir schließen aus unseren Untersuchungen, dass der feldtaugliche Analysator keine ausreichend genaue, alternative Methode zur Messung des zirkulierenden TRIG bei Kanadaschnepfen während des kalten Frühjahrs in den nördlichen Brutgebieten darstellt, obwohl er unter günstigeren Bedingungen und bei anderen Vogelarten für Feldornithologen nützlich sein mag.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the volunteers and technicians (V. Haese-Lehman, A. Gatchell, and J. Roelandt) for their hard work throughout the field season. Thanks to A. Frawley for completing the lab analyses. Thanks to A. Buckardt Thomas, M. Spriggs, A. Fish, and E. Blomberg for their training in mist-netting, blood collection, and sample handling. Thanks to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Young Forest Partnership for their support in logistics throughout the field season. Funding was provided from the University of Michigan-Flint Graduate Fund and the Association of Field Ornithologists through the E. Alexander Bergstrom Memorial Research Award. Finally, we thank PTS Diagnostics for donating the analyzer and test strips. Mist-netting and blood collection protocols followed the guidelines for the use of wild birds (Fair et al. 2010), were approved by the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Michigan (IACUC protocol number PRO00008018), and comply with current federal laws.
Funding
The research was supported through funds from the University of Michigan-Flint Graduate Fund and the Association of Field Ornithologists E. Alexander Bergstrom Memorial Research Award. This project was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch (or McIntire-Stennis, Animal Health, etc.) Project number ME042018 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station.
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All authors contributed to the study design and the writing of this manuscript. Project preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by CMR with critical input from AMR, SRM, and JCW.
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This study was performed under a master bander permit from the U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory and complied with current federal laws. Mist-netting and blood collection protocols followed the guidelines for the use of wild birds (Fair et al. 2010) and were approved by the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Michigan (IACUC protocol number PRO00008018).
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Roelandt, C.M., Roth, A.M., McWilliams, S.R. et al. Measuring circulating triglycerides in free-living birds: evaluation of a field-usable point-of-care analyzer for American woodcock. J Ornithol 163, 235–241 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-021-01942-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-021-01942-5