Researchers made flying harder for Alaskan Seabirds; only 67% returned, survivors bred better

Researchers clipped wing and tail feathers of wild black-legged kittiwakes on Middleton Island, Alaska, increasing flight energy cost.

Only 67% of the clipped birds returned to the breeding colony the following year.

Survivors that returned traveled farther during migration and were more likely to breed successfully.

The study tracked 251 birds between 2021 and 2024 and was led by Nagoya University researchers.

Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the research demonstrates 'energetic flexibility' in animals.