Regular handling reduces corticosterone stress responses to handling but not condition of semi-precocial mottled petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata) chicks

Abstract Handling of avian study species is common in ecological research, yet few studies account for the impact of handling in nestlings where exposure to stress may result in negative lifetime fitness consequences. As a result, our understanding of stress reactivity in free-living avian young is limited. In this study we examined the cumulative impact of three levels of research-relevant handling (control, daily and every three days) on the development of the stress response, growth and condition of semi-precocial seabird chicks from near-hatching to near-fledging. By measuring corticosterone concentrations in plasma, we found that mottled petrel ( Pterodroma inexpectata ) chicks were capable of mounting a stress response comparable to adults from near-hatching. There were no differences in plasma corticosterone concentrations in initial samples (