Consequences of using Conspecific Attraction in Avian Conservation: A Case Study of Endangered Colonial Waterbirds

Ward, Michael P.; Semel, Brad; Jablonski, Cindi; Deutsch, Charlie; Giammaria, Vincent; Miller, Sarah; McGuire, Benjamin M.

doi:10.1675/063.034.0410

Cited by 20 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Gerhardt and Klump [17] similarly concluded that barking treefrogs responded to conspecific chorus sounds in the laboratory while green treefrogs did not because of their differing breeding habits; barking treefrog aggregations are spatially and temporally unpredictable, while green treefrog aggregations are more stable in space and time. Likewise, avian conspecific attraction studies have found that species using more ephemeral breeding habitats are strongly attracted to pre-breeding season conspecific location cues [30,31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Conspecific Attraction as a Management Tool across Several Species of Anurans

2018

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Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, with habitat loss and alteration being a primary driver of many declines. Management strategies to mitigate these declines include translocation and creation or restoration of breeding habitats, yet these techniques are not always effective. We examined whether conspecific attraction-a management tool frequently used in avian conservation-would be similarly valuable in management and conservation of anuran amphibians (i.e., frogs and toads). We broadcast conspecific chorus sounds at unoccupied, artificial breeding ponds for six anuran species across three field sites. We documented when frogs arrived at each pool and when eggs were laid. We compared differences in number of pools found with adults and egg masses between playback and control pools and examined latency to first colonization. We found that Mexican spadefoots colonized playback ponds faster and more often than control ponds, while Cope's gray treefrogs, Arizona treefrogs, green frogs, spring peepers, and wood frogs exhibited weak or non-existent responses. We discuss why breeding ecology may influence tendency to exhibit conspecific attraction and how this behavior could be used in amphibian management and conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Conspecific Attraction as a Management Tool across Several Species of Anurans

2018

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“…It is important that restoration sites are selected carefully (Nisbet and Spendelow, 1999;Ward et al, 2011) and that the determinants of habitat quality are well understood, so terns do not fall into an ecological trap by being attracted to suboptimal habitat that causes further population declines (Battin, 2004;Reed, 2004;Sih, 2013). Selection of colony and nest sites reflect trade-offs (which vary among species) between predation risk, flooding risk, and proximity to preferred foraging sites (Burger and Lesser, 1978;Becker and Anlauf, 1988;Gochfeld, 1990, 1991;O'Connell and Beck, 2003;Rounds et al, 2004;Cruz et al, 2013).…”

Section: Habitat Selection and Conspecific Attractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Conspecific attraction with decoys and playback is commonly used to bring terns and other colonial seabirds to unoccupied or recently restored colony sites (Kress, 1983(Kress, , 1997(Kress, , 2000Becker, 1996;Arnold et al, 2011;Ward et al, 2011), and can be used experimentally to determine preferred social conditions (Burger, 1988). Terns may interact with decoys as during courtship and nest among the decoys (Burger, 1988;Kress, 1997).…”

Section: Habitat Selection and Conspecific Attractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At many sites terns now nest in man-made bodies of water (Neubauer, 1998;Ledwón et al, 2013) or on dredge spoil islands and other man-made structures, such as gravel rooftops and floating docks or rafts (Dunlop et al, 1991;Burgess and Hirons, 1992;Morris et al, 1992;Becker, 1996;Quinn et al, 1996;Becker and Sudmann, 1998;Neubauer, 1998;Krogh and Schweitzer, 1999;Kress, 2000;Van der Winden et al, 2004;Shealer et al, 2006;Ward et al, 2011;Szostek and Becker, 2012;Cabot and Nisbet, 2013). Structures such as rafts have been constructed specifically for tern nesting, but in other cases terns have opportunistically used available man-made habitat.…”

Section: Habitat Selection and Conspecific Attractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…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%

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The role of behavior in tern conservation

Palestis

2014

Current Zoology

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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].

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Social attractants, a conservation tool for black‐fronted terns

et al. 2019

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Social attraction techniques for species restoration and conservation projects predominantly target colonial breeding species, which commonly use conspecific cues as indicators of habitat quality. The black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus) is a globally endangered species that primarily breeds in transient colonies in New Zealand's braided rivers. Currently, predator control and habitat enhancement are the primary management strategies for improving black-fronted tern populations. Methods that increase the probability of black-fronted tern colonies being protected by management through an increase in site fidelity of breeding colonies, both within and among years, may greatly increase effectiveness of management. Social attractants, decoys, and audio playback were deployed at 10 sites within 9 Canterbury braided rivers over the 2016 breeding season (September-December). We found that terns interacted with the social attractants compared with the paired untreated plots absent of social attractants. Nearest locations of tern breeding were recorded for 8 of the 10 sites, with breeding recorded within 300 m of the social attractant experimental plots at 5 of these sites. These results suggest that social attraction has the potential for use in black-fronted tern conservation by drawing breeding terns into habitat that has added predator or habitat management.

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Consequences of using Conspecific Attraction in Avian Conservation: A Case Study of Endangered Colonial Waterbirds

Cited by 20 publications

References 22 publications

Evaluation of Conspecific Attraction as a Management Tool across Several Species of Anurans

Evaluation of Conspecific Attraction as a Management Tool across Several Species of Anurans

The role of behavior in tern conservation

Social attractants, a conservation tool for black‐fronted terns

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