Morphometric Sex Determination Of Breeding Adult Royal Thalasseus Maximus And Sandwich Terns T. Sandvicensis In Louisiana

Many seabirds have sex-specific traits, including survival, philopatry, behavior, and diet, information that is essential for effective conservation strategies. The difficulty of sexing monomorphic seabirds, however, has resulted in a lack of information on these important traits and an incomplete understanding of the ecology of many species. We used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sexing approach to determine if Royal Thalasseus maximus and Sandwich terns T. sandvicensis in Louisiana, USA can be accurately sexed using morphometrics. DNA samples and morphological measurements were obtained from Royal Terns (n = 106) and Sandwich Terns (n = 112) to accurately identify sex and compare gender differences in morphological measurements. In both species, males had greater bill length and head + bill length relative to females. Sexual size dimorphism ranged from 0.0%-4.7% in Royal Terns and 0.4%-3.5% in Sandwich Terns. Using discriminant function analysis, equations correctly assigned sex in 75% of Royal Terns using head + bill and wing chord measurements and in 82% of Sandwich Terns using head + bill and mass measurements. Our methods provide an accurate and economical field-sexing technique for Royal and Sandwich terns, enabling research into sex-based differences in behavior, physiology, and ecology.