Digestive Organ Sizes and Enzyme Activities of Refueling Western Sandpipers (Calidris Mauri): Contrasting Effects of Season and Age

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[edit] Author(s)

  • Stein, R. W.
  • Place, A. R.
  • Lacourse, T.
  • Guglielmo, C. G.
  • Williams, T. D.

[edit] Journal

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 78.3 (2005): 434-46.

[edit] Keywords

distance passerine migrant springtime stopover site phenotypic flexibility intestinal enzymes nutrient assimilation dietary modulation sylvia-borin birds migration disaccharidases

[edit] Abstract

We examined seasonal and age-related variation in digestive organ sizes and enzyme activities in female western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) refueling at a coastal stopover site in southern British Columbia. Adult sandpipers exhibited seasonal variation in pancreatic and intestinal enzyme activities but not in digestive system or organ sizes. Spring migrants had 22% higher total and 67% higher standardized pancreatic lipase activities but 37% lower total pancreatic amylase activity than fall migrants, which suggests that the spring diet was enriched with lipids but low in glycogen. Spring migrants also had 47% higher total intestinal maltase activity as well as 56% higher standardized maltase and 13% higher standardized aminopeptidase-N activities. Spring migrants had higher total enzymic capacity than fall migrants, due primarily to higher total lipase and maltase activities. During fall migration, the juvenile's digestive system was 10% larger than the adult's, and it was composed differently: juveniles had a 16% larger small intestine but a 27% smaller proventriculus. The juvenile's larger digestive system was associated with lower total enzymic capacity than the adult's due to 20% lower total chitinase and 23% lower total lipase activities. These results suggest that juvenile western sandpipers may process food differently from adults and/or have a lower-quality diet.

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