A trial of three harness attachment methods and their suitability for long-term use on Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas

Thaxter, Chris B.; Ross‐Smith, Viola H.; Clark, Jacquie A.; Clark, Nigel A.; Conway, Greg J.; Marsh, Mike; Leat, Eliza H. K.; Burton, Niall H. K.

doi:10.1080/03078698.2014.995546

Cited by 84 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Two straps were passed in front of and behind the wings and connected in the middle of the sternum, similar to Thaxter et al. (2014). The data could be downloaded via an ultra‐high frequency connection, and the birds therefore did not need to be recaptured.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercolony variations in movement patterns and foraging behaviors among herring gulls (Larus argentatus) breeding in the eastern Wadden Sea

Enners¹,

Schwemmer²,

Corman³

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are opportunistic predators that prefer to forage in the intertidal zone, but an increasing degree of terrestrial foraging has recently been observed. We therefore aimed to analyze the factors influencing foraging behavior and diet composition in the German Wadden Sea. Gulls from three breeding colonies on islands at different distances from the mainland were equipped with GPS data loggers during the incubation seasons in 2012–2015. Logger data were analyzed for 37 individuals, including 1,115 foraging trips. Herring gulls breeding on the island furthest from the mainland had shorter trips (mean total distance = 12.3 km; mean maximum distance = 4.2 km) and preferred to feed on the tidal flats close to the colony, mainly feeding on common cockles (Cerastoderma edule) and shore crabs (Carcinus maenas). In contrast, herring gulls breeding close to the mainland carried out trips with a mean total distance of 26.7 km (mean maximum distance = 9.2 km). These gulls fed on the neobiotic razor clams (Ensis leei) in the intertidal zone, and a larger proportion of time was spent in distant terrestrial habitats on the mainland, feeding on earthworms. δ 13C and δ 15N values were higher at the colony furthest from the mainland and confirmed a geographical gradient in foraging strategy. Analyses of logger data, pellets, and stable isotopes revealed that herring gulls preferred to forage in intertidal habitats close to the breeding colony, but shifted to terrestrial habitats on the mainland as the tide rose and during the daytime. Reduced prey availability in the vicinity of the breeding colony might force herring gulls to switch to feed on razor clams in the intertidal zone or to use distant terrestrial habitats. Herring gulls may thus act as an indicator for the state of the intertidal system close to their breeding colony.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercolony variations in movement patterns and foraging behaviors among herring gulls (Larus argentatus) breeding in the eastern Wadden Sea

Enners¹,

Schwemmer²,

Corman³

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Age was determined from plumage characteristics. Incubating birds were caught at the nest using a walk-in wire mesh trap and devices were attached using a wing harness fixed with a reef knot in the tracheal pit, an attachment method recommended for large gulls (see Thaxter et al 2014Thaxter et al , 2016. The GPS logger and harness weighed less than 1.8% of the body mass of the birds (19 g for the GPS versus 1062 ± 120 g [mean ± SD] for the tracked gulls), less than the 3 to 5% threshold suggested for seabirds (Phillips et al 2003, Passos et al 2010.…”

Section: Fieldwork Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shifting individual habitat specialization of a successful predator living in anthropogenic landscapes

Navarro¹,

Grémillet²,

Ramírez³

et al. 2017

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Population expansions of successful species have gained importance as a major conservation and management concern. The success of these 'winners' is widely attributed to their high adaptability and behavioural plasticity, which allow them to efficiently use opportunities provided by human-modified habitats. However, most of these studies consider conspecifics as ecological equivalents, without considering the individual components within populations. This is critical for a better understanding of the main ecological mechanisms related to the success of winning species. Here, we investigated the spatial ecology of the opportunistic yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis, a clear example of a winning species in southern Europe, to examine its degree of individual specialization in habitat use. To test for such individual strategies, we applied specialization metrics to spatial data obtained from 18 yellow-legged gulls that were GPS-tracked simultaneously during the breeding season. The results revealed that population-level generalism in habitat use in the yellow-legged gull arises through varying levels of individual specialization, and individual spatial segregation within each habitat. Importantly, we found that the combination of individual specialization and individual spatial segregation may reduce intra-specific competition, with these 2 important mechanisms driving the success of this winning species.

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“…The light sensor was placed on a 0.8 cm stalk, in order to raise the sensor above the plumage. We attached the loggers as a backpack using a full-body loop harness (comparable to the wing harness in [25]) made from a 2-mm-wide braided nylon string. Females were released without geolocators because in previous years we recaptured a lower proportion of females than males.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual spatiotemporal migration schedules in three larger insectivorous birds: European nightjar, common swift and common cuckoo

Jacobsen

Jensen²,

Willemoes

et al. 2017

Anim Biotelemetry

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Background: Knowledge of spatiotemporal migration patterns is important for our understanding of migration ecology and ultimately conservation of migratory species. We studied the annual migration schedules of European nightjar, a large nocturnal insectivore and compared it with two other larger migratory insectivores, common swift and common cuckoo. All species breed in North Europe and winter in sub-Saharan Africa, but estimating their spatiotemporal non-breeding distributions from observations is complicated by the occurrence of similar local African species. We used geolocators to track the annual migrations of nightjars and swifts and compared these with satellite tracking of cuckoo migration.Results: Individuals of the three species migrated to wintering grounds centered in Central Africa, except some common swifts that remained in West Africa, crossing or circumventing the Sahara along different routes in spring and fall. Overall, all species showed similar regional and seasonal use of several stopover areas during migration. Among the three species, European nightjars and common cuckoos showed the most similar spatiotemporal migration patterns. The nightjars wintered in SW Central Africa and breeding and wintering made up by far the two longest stationary periods. Swifts were generally more mobile, and some individuals progressively visited areas further east in East Africa during winter and further west in West Africa on spring migration; this species also spent less time on stopovers, but more on wintering areas. Cuckoos were intermediate in their extent of movements. The speed of nightjar spring migration was equal to that of fall migration, in contrast to the two other species where spring return to breeding areas was faster. Conclusions: Ecological requirements are potentially useful for understanding spatiotemporal migration patterns and causes of declines in migratory species.

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A trial of three harness attachment methods and their suitability for long-term use on Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas

Cited by 84 publications

References 38 publications

Intercolony variations in movement patterns and foraging behaviors among herring gulls (Larus argentatus) breeding in the eastern Wadden Sea

Intercolony variations in movement patterns and foraging behaviors among herring gulls (Larus argentatus) breeding in the eastern Wadden Sea

Shifting individual habitat specialization of a successful predator living in anthropogenic landscapes

Annual spatiotemporal migration schedules in three larger insectivorous birds: European nightjar, common swift and common cuckoo

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