Colony-site Tenacity and Egg Color Crypsis in the Gull-billed Tern

Sánchez, Juan Manuel; Corbacho, Casimiro; Viejo, Antonio Muñoz del; Parejo, Deseada

doi:10.1675/1524-4695(2004)027[0021:ctaecc]2.0.co;2

Cited by 26 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although terns and other seabirds are often assumed to be highly philopatric, the degree of site fidelity varies substantially both between species (McNicholl, 1975;Møller, 1982;Burger, 1984;Erwin et al, 1998;Renken and Smith, 1995;Ward et al, 2011;Ledwón et al, 2013;Zarza et al, 2013) and between colony sites within species (Austin, 1949;Haymes and Blokpoel, 1978;Tims et al, 2004;Spendelow et al, 1995;Feare and Lesperance, 2002;Lebreton et al, 2003;Sánchez et al, 2004;Shealer et al, 2005;Devlin et al, 2008;Ratcliffe et al, 2008;Draheim et al, 2010). Most measures of philopatry are probably biased toward high values because it is difficult to detect individuals who disperse (Coulson and Coulson, 2008).…”

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Philopatry also tends to be higher in large, stable colonies than small colonies and/or colonies in less stable habitat (Austin, 1949;McNicholl, 1975;Renken and Smith, 1995;Sánchez et al, 2004;Dittmann et al, 2007;Ratcliffe et al, 2008;Braby et al, 2012). Because most research has focused on large, stable colony sites, an additional upward bias in estimates of philopatry exists.…”

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because most research has focused on large, stable colony sites, an additional upward bias in estimates of philopatry exists. Sites with frequent and/or heavy losses to flooding, predation, or human disturbance may be abandoned or experience higher rates of dispersal (Møller, 1982;Burger and Gochfeld, 1991;Holt, 1994;Erwin et al, 1998;Feare and Lesperance, 2002;Sánchez et al, 2004;Shealer et al, 2005;Ward et al, 2011), and in locations where terns nest mainly at managed sites dispersal rates may be lower than among unmanaged sites (Devlin et al, 2008). Site fidelity is probably lower for the marsh terns (Chlidonias) than for most other terns because of the unpredictability of the habitat (Ledwón et al, 2013).…”

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Philopatry can cause local density to increase, possibly resulting in density-dependent decreases in productivity (Tims et al, 2004;Matthiopoulos et al, 2005). Although terns often move from sites affected by predation and flooding to safer sites, in more stable locations they may continue to return to locations where they have been successful in the past, rather than colonizing nearby sites (including newly restored sites), even if current reproductive success is low (Burger and Gochfeld, 1991;Sánchez et al, 2004;Tims et al, 2004;Sruoga et al, 2006;Braby et al, 2012;Szostek et al, 2014b). Philopatry and conspecific attraction (see Habitat Selection and Conspecific Attraction, above) can therefore result in suitable colony sites remaining unoccupied and a smaller number of breeding colonies (Matthiopoulos et al, 2005;Heinänen et al, 2008;Zarza et al, 2013), which causes the metapopulation to be more vulnerable to extinction (Reed, 1999;Matthiopoulos et al, 2005).…”

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The role of behavior in tern conservation

Palestis

2014

Current Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Behavioral research has long had an important role in the conservation of terns (Aves: Sternidae). Habitat management and restoration of breeding colony sites depends on knowledge of the cues used to select colony and nest sites. For example, conspecific attraction with playback and decoys is commonly used to bring terns to suitable colony sites and habitat modification is often used to increase the availability of suitable nest sites. Tern colonies are interconnected by dispersal, and a metapopulation approach is needed for effective management. Population dynamics are therefore affected by behaviors that influence the frequency of movement among colony sites: site fidelity, natal and breeding dispersal, and group adherence. The monogamous breeding system of terns should keep effective population size similar to census population size, but variation in sex ratios (likely resulting from sex differences in behavior) and in parental quality can result in a smaller than expected effective population size. In addition to the behavior of terns, knowledge of the behavior of predators on terns contributes to management plans, because predator behavior can sometimes be manipulated and predation is often performed by only a few specialized individuals. Other examples of links between tern behavior and conservation are also briefly reviewed, such as behavioral toxicology research and studies of behavioral responses to human disturbance and manmade structures. More work is needed on the behavior of migratory terns at staging sites, stopover sites and wintering grounds, and on the behavior of less well-studied species and species in less well-studied geographic regions [Current Zoology 60 (4): 500-514, 2014].

show abstract

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Philopatry and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The role of behavior in tern conservation

Palestis

2014

Current Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica) showed greater colony-site Wdelity to nest sites with substrates that more closely matched egg color (Sánchez et al 2004). Preference for particular substrates may explain why nesting birds are sometimes attracted to unusual habitats such as gravelcovered rooftops (Ankney and Hopkins 1985;Gore and Kinnison 1991), oyster shell rakes, as with American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliates; Nol and Humphrey 1994), or substrates on which white oyster shells were scattered, as with killdeer (C. vociferous; Jackson 1924) and piping plovers and least terns (Sterna antillarum; Mayer 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest construction by a ground-nesting bird represents a potential trade-off between egg crypticity and thermoregulation

Mayer¹,

Smith

Ford³

et al. 2009

Oecologia

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predation selects against conspicuous colors in bird eggs and nests, while thermoregulatory constraints select for nest-building behavior that regulates incubation temperatures. We present results that suggest a trade-off between nest crypticity and thermoregulation of eggs based on selection of nest materials by piping plovers (Charadrius melodus), a ground-nesting bird that constructs simple, pebble-lined nests highly vulnerable to predators and exposed to temperature extremes. Piping plovers selected pebbles that were whiter and appeared closer in color to eggs than randomly available pebbles, suggesting a crypsis function. However, nests that were more contrasting in color to surrounding substrates were at greater risk of predation, suggesting an alternate strategy driving selection of white rocks. Near-infrared reflectance of nest pebbles was higher than randomly available pebbles, indicating a direct physical mechanism for heat control through pebble selection. Artificial nests constructed of randomly available pebbles heated more quickly and conferred heat to model eggs, causing eggs to heat more rapidly than in nests constructed from piping plover nest pebbles. Thermal models and field data indicated that temperatures inside nests may remain up to 2-6 degrees C cooler than surrounding substrates. Thermal models indicated that nests heat especially rapidly if not incubated, suggesting that nest construction behavior may serve to keep eggs cooler during the unattended laying period. Thus, pebble selection suggests a potential trade-off between maximizing heat reflectance to improve egg microclimate and minimizing conspicuous contrast of nests with the surrounding substrate to conceal eggs from predators. Nest construction behavior that employs light-colored, thermally reflective materials may represent an evolutionary response by birds and other egg-laying organisms to egg predation and heat stress.

show abstract

Egg coloration in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis): a test of the sexual signaling hypothesis

Hanley

Doucet

2009

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Colony-site Tenacity and Egg Color Crypsis in the Gull-billed Tern

Cited by 26 publications

References 12 publications

The role of behavior in tern conservation

The role of behavior in tern conservation

Nest construction by a ground-nesting bird represents a potential trade-off between egg crypticity and thermoregulation

Egg coloration in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis): a test of the sexual signaling hypothesis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About