Effects of predation and weather on the breeding success of Avocets<i>Recurvirostra avosetta</i>

Hötker, Hermann; Segebade, A.

doi:10.1080/00063650009461163

Cited by 18 publications

(24 citation statements)

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“…Reduced predation pressure may be one of the most important effects of colonial nesting on hatching success. Predation was the most frequent cause of nest loss in this study, which corresponds well with findings of previous studies of avocet breeding biology (Hötker and Segebade 2000, see also below). In this study, nesting success was highest for pairs that started their nests early in those island colonies in semi‐natural sites which grew to be large (>15 pairs).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Predation by mammals has been found to be the main reason for egg or chick loss in several previous studies of avocets (Cadbury and Olney 1978, Watier and Fournier 1980, Cadbury et al 1989, Girard and Yésou 1989, Hötker 2000). Indeed, hatching success found in this study was similar to that found in coastal populations of avocets (57% of the eggs known hatched, range in nine other studies: 42%–77%, see Hötker and Segebade 2000). Although brood‐level data on chick fledging success are scarce, low chick survival has been found in other avocet populations as well (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Avocets with broods formed spatially segregated aggregations, BAAs, in certain parts of the study lakes. Such behaviour also has been reported in other studies of avocets (Bie 1979, Bie and Ziljstra 1985, Hötker and Segebade 2000). Two results suggested that BAAs in natural habitats appeared to provide better conditions for brood‐rearing than did BAAs in semi‐natural sites.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Such effect of colony size was not observed in a study of pied avocets in northern Germany because the number of adults mobbing predators remained small in larger colonies (Hötker 2000). Third, islands provided physical protection via isolation by large water surfaces from most mammalian predators, which usually destroy entire colonies once they find them (Hötker and Segebade 2000, pers. obs.).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pied avocets usually nest in dense colonies in which pairs occupy tiny nesting territories (Cadbury and Olney 1978, Tschernitschko 1980, Cramp and Simmons 1983), and colonial nesting is thought to be essential for successful hatching in this species (Hötker 2000). Factors affecting breeding success in coastal populations of avocets include competition for nest sites by other species, nest predation, flooding of nests, adverse weather, abundance of food for chicks and predation on chicks (Cadbury et al 1989, Hötker and Segebade 2000). Breeding success is primarily determined by chick mortality due to adverse weather or predation (Cadbury and Olney 1978, Hagemeijer and Blair 1997, Hötker 2000, Hötker and Segebade 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Spatial differences in breeding success in the pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta: effects of habitat on hatching success and chick survival

Lengyel¹

2006

Journal of Avian Biology

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Lengyel, S. 2006. Spatial differences in breeding success in the pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta : effects of habitat on hatching success and chick su\rvival. Á J. Avian Biol. 37: 381 Á395.I studied the breeding biology of pied avocets Recurvirostra avosetta in natural habitats (alkaline lakes), and in semi-natural sites (dry fishpond, reconstructed wetlands) in Hungary to relate habitat selection patterns to spatial and temporal variation in breeding success. Colonies were initiated earlier in semi-natural sites than in natural habitats, and earlier on islands than on the mainland. Hatching success was higher on islands than on the mainland, in semi-natural sites than in natural habitats, in colonies of at least 15 pairs than in smaller colonies, and for nests initiated earlier than later within a colony. Fledging success was higher in the wet years (1999 Á2000) than in the dry year (1998), decreased strongly by season in both habitats and increased with average daily temperature in the first week post-hatch in 1999 Á2000. Most pairs hatching young in semi-natural sites attempted to lead their chicks to feeding areas in natural habitats, whereas no such movement occurred in the opposite direction. Chick mortality due to predation was high during brood movements and only 23% of the pairs moving their young produced fledglings, compared to 43% for pairs remaining in semi-natural sites and 68% for pairs hatching and rearing young in natural habitats (total n 0/192 broods). These results suggest that semi-natural sites were more suitable for nesting, whereas natural habitats were more suitable for chick-rearing. The opposing trends in habitat-related breeding success between nesting and chickrearing suggest sub-optimal habitat selection by Pied Avocets due to an incorrect assessment of the potential for successful reproduction of semi-natural sites, which may thus function as ecological traps.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial differences in breeding success in the pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta: effects of habitat on hatching success and chick survival

Lengyel¹

2006

Journal of Avian Biology

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Predation and nutrients drive population declines in breeding waders

Møller

Thorup²,

Laursen

2018

Ecological Applications

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Allee effects are defined as a decline in per capita fitness at low population density. We hypothesized that predation reduces population size of breeding waders and thereby the efficiency of predator deterrence, while total nitrogen through its effects on primary and secondary productivity increases population size. Therefore, nest predation could have negative consequences for population size because nest failure generally results in breeding dispersal and hence reduced local population density. To test these predictions, we recorded nest predation in five species of waders for 4,745 nests during 1987-2015 at the nature reserve Tipperne, Denmark. Predation rates were generally negatively related to conspecific and heterospecific population density, but positively related to overall population density of the entire wader community. Nest predation and population density were related to ground water level, management (grazing and mowing), and nutrients. High nest predation with a time lag of one year resulted in low overall breeding population density, while high nutrient levels resulted in higher population density. These two factors accounted for 86% of the variance in population size, presumably due to effects of nest predation on emigration, while nutrient levels increased the level of vegetation cover and the abundance of food in the surrounding brackish water. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that predation may reduce population density through negative density dependence, while total nitrogen at adjacent shallow water may increase population size. Nest predation rates were reduced by high ground water level in March, grazing by cattle and mowing that affected access to and susceptibility of nests to predators. These effects can be managed to benefit breeding waders.

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Multiple components of environmental change drive populations of breeding waders in seminatural grasslands

Laursen

Balbontı́n

Thorup³

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Environments are rapidly changing due to climate change, land use, intensive agriculture, and the impact of hunting on predator populations. Here, we analyzed long‐term data recorded during 1928–2014 on the size of breeding populations of waders at two large nature reserves in Denmark, Vejlerne and Tipperne, to determine the effects of components of environmental change on breeding populations of waders. Environmental variables and counts of waders were temporally autocorrelated, and we used generalized least square (GLS) by incorporating the first‐order autoregressive correlation structure in the analyses. We attempted to predict the abundance of waders for short‐term trends for two nature reserves (35 years) and for long‐term trends for one nature reserve (86 years), using precipitation, temperature, nutrients, abundance of foxes Vulpes vulpes, area grazed, and number of cattle. There was evidence of impacts of nutrients, climate (long‐term changes in temperature and precipitation), grazing, mowing, and predation on bird populations. We used standard random effects meta‐analyses weighted by (N–3) to quantify these mean effects. There was no significant difference in effect size among species, while mean effect size differed consistently among environmental factors, and the interaction between effect size for species and environmental factors was also significant. Thus, environmental factors affected the different species differently. Mean effect size was the largest at +0.20 for rain, +0.11 for temperature, −0.09 for fox abundance, and −0.03 for number of cattle, while there was no significant mean effect for fertilizer, area grazed, and year. Effect sizes for two short‐term time series from Tipperne and Vejlerne were positively correlated as were effect sizes for short‐term and long‐term time series at Tipperne. This implies that environmental factors had consistent effects across large temporal and spatial scales.

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Effects of predation and weather on the breeding success of AvocetsRecurvirostra avosetta

Cited by 18 publications

References 0 publications

Spatial differences in breeding success in the pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta: effects of habitat on hatching success and chick survival

Spatial differences in breeding success in the pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta: effects of habitat on hatching success and chick survival

Predation and nutrients drive population declines in breeding waders

Multiple components of environmental change drive populations of breeding waders in seminatural grasslands

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