Nest Box for Monitoring the Mass and Heart Rate Changes of a Growing Seabird Chick

抄録

This study reports the development of a nest box that can be used to simultaneously measure changes in the mass and heart rate of a growing seabird chick. The nest box is equipped with two scales and a heart rate monitor. The zero-point drift is expected to be suppressed using two scales. The scale utilizes a noncontact displacement sensor with waterproofing and dustproofing. A silicone tube with one end closed and the other end connected to a pressure sensor is used as a heart monitor. The developed nest box allows noninvasive, sequential measurement of the mass and heart rate of a chick over several months.