Avian Conservation and Ecology-Écologie et conservation des oiseaux 1(3): 4 http://www.ace-eco.org/vol1/iss3/art4/ données pour établir un modèle matriciel de projection pour deux segments de la population nicheuse de Pluviers siffleurs de l'est du Canada afin d'estimer les taux de croissance déterministe et stochastique de la population (λ d et λ s , respectivement). Des recensements annuels de la population ont suggéré une croissance modérée de l'abondance entre 1998-2003, mais les estimations des paramètres vitaux ont indiqué que cette croissance temporaire pourrait être remplacée par des déclins à long terme, tant dans le sud de la Nouvelle-Écosse (λ d = 1.0043, λ s = 0.9263) que dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent (λ d = 0.9651, λ s = 0.8214). Néanmoins, les intervalles de confiance des estimations de λ étaient relativement grands, mettant en relief l'incertitude qui subsiste quant à l'évolution future de la population. Les différences entre les taux de croissance obtenus à l'aide du modèle pour chaque région semblent être liées à une faible taux de survie estimé pour les jeunes à l'envol dans le golfe, mais les menaces qui pèsent sur les jeunes des deux segments de la population après leur départ des plages de nidification demeurent inconnus. De même, la valeur de λ dans les deux segments de la population était particulièrement sensible aux changements du taux de survie des adultes, comme il faut s'y attendre pour la majorité des oiseaux migrateurs, mais on ne sait que peu de choses sur les menaces à la survie du Pluvier siffleur pendant la migration et la période d'hivernage. Par conséquent, nous proposons que les efforts qui seront déployés en vue du rétablissement de cette population et de celles d'autres migrateurs vulnérables visent à quantifier et à gérer les causes largement inconnues de la mortalité chez les adultes et les jeunes en dehors de la saison de reproduction, tout en maintenant les niveaux actuels de protection de l'habitat de nidification.

Predicting habitat suitability and understanding habitat utilization are important to inform and orient conservation and management decisions for the recovery of endangered species. In North America, the roseate tern Sterna dougallii is listed as endangered in both the northeastern USA and Canada, where little is known about the foraging spatial ecology of the species. We equipped breeding roseate terns with miniature GPS tracking devices during incubation at North Brother Island, the main Canadian colony. Our aim was to characterize the spatial foraging ecology of the species, identify marine zones of importance, and develop a habitat suitability model around the colony. Our results provide novel, high resolution information on individual foraging trips, notably showing that individuals restricted their range around the colony (15.4 km) while performing multiple foraging trips: up to 11 daytime trips and a maximum total of 152.9 km travelled per day. Roseate terns concentrated their foraging effort around the colony and further south along the coast to the Cockerwit Passage. Using distance from colony, sea surface temperature, distance from land, bathymetry, and subtidal substrate type as covariates in a habitat suitability model, a high proportion of the deviance was explained (72.4%); the model also predicted high occurrence of foraging near the colony, in Cockerwit Passage, and at additional sites to which the birds were not tracked. Along with the description of important marine areas for roseate terns nesting on North Brother Island, this habitat suitability model provides a relevant and essential context for understanding roseate tern habitat use in a broad sense, but with a focus on habitat requirements during incubation.

We placed 1078 plastic and anodized aluminum auxiliary bands on Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) in eastern Canada from 1998 to 2003. Seventeen apparent band-related injuries, ranging from abrasion to foot loss, were observed from 361 recaptures. All but two injuries were related to the use of tall anodized aluminum auxiliary bands. Therefore, we advise extreme caution regarding the selection and use of novel auxiliary bands for Piping Plovers, or similar Charadriiformes. SINOPSIS. Nuevas anilla de aluminio con revestimiento, causan lesions a las patas de Charadrius melodusColocamos 1078 anillas plásticas y de aluminio revestidas ("anodizadas") en individuos de Charadrius melodus en la parte este de Canadá durante el 1998 y 2003. Se observaron 17 lesiones (de 361 recapturas) desde abrasiones hasta perdida de la pata aparentemente relacionadas al uso de anillas. Excepto dos, las demás heridas fueron relacionadas al uso de anillas altas de aluminio revestidas (9.1 mm de altura). Por lo tanto recomendamos extrema cautela en la selección y uso de anillas auxiliares en el ave estudiada al igual que en otras aves del mismo orden.

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Conservation of mobile organisms is difficult in the absence of detailed information about movement and habitat use. While the miniaturization of tracking devices has eased the collection of such information, it remains logistically and financially difficult to track a wide range of species across a large geographic scale. Predictive distribution models can be used to fill this gap by integrating both telemetry and census data to construct distribution maps and inform conservation goals and planning. We used tracking data from 520 individuals of 14 seabird species in Atlantic Canada to first compare foraging range and distance to shorelines among species across colonies, and then developed tree-based machine-learning models to predict foraging distributions for more than 5000 breeding sites distributed along more than 5000 km of shoreline. Despite large variability in foraging ranges among species, tracking data revealed clusters of species using similar foraging habitats (e.g., nearshore vs. offshore foragers), and within species, foraging range was highly colony-specific. Even with this variability, distance from the nesting colony was an important predictor of distribution for nearly all species, while distance from coastlines and bathymetry (slope and ruggedness) were additional important predictors for some species. Overall, we demonstrated the utility of tree-based machine-learning approach when modeling tracking data to predict distributions at un-sampled colonies. Although tracking and colony data have some shortcomings (e.g., fewer data for some species), where results need to be interpreted with care in some cases, applying methods for modeling breeding season distributions of seabirds allows for broader-scale conservation assessment. The modeled distributions can be used in decisions about planning for offshore recreation and commercial activities and to inform conservation planning at regional scales.