Extinction, colonization, and distribution patterns of common eider populations nesting in a naturally fragmented landscape

Chaulk, Keith G.; Robertson, Gregory J.; Montevecchi, William A.

doi:10.1139/z06-138

Cited by 10 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 60 publications

(77 reference statements)

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“…A relationship between colony size and extinction or abandonment probability has been observed in other avian studies and is not unexpected (Barbraud et al 2003, Chaulk et al 2006 (Danchin et al 1998).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…Esler (2000) showed that when birds exhibit spatial structure and site fidelity, important insights into avian population dynamics can be determined using a spatially explicit approach. Avian colony dynamics have been recently explored and have led to insights into where bird colonies are formed and how they persist in time and space (Erwin et al 1998, Oro and Ruxton 2001, Barbraud et al 2003, Chaulk et al 2006. How local colony size and recent colony trends influence the ability of colonies to persist and the importance of rescue effects from nearby occupied colonies have all been considered (Barbraud et al 2003, Martínez-Abraín et al 2003, Chaulk et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Avian colony dynamics have been recently explored and have led to insights into where bird colonies are formed and how they persist in time and space (Erwin et al 1998, Oro and Ruxton 2001, Barbraud et al 2003, Chaulk et al 2006. How local colony size and recent colony trends influence the ability of colonies to persist and the importance of rescue effects from nearby occupied colonies have all been considered (Barbraud et al 2003, Martínez-Abraín et al 2003, Chaulk et al 2006). Although colonyor site-level analyses preclude detailed inferences about the demographic processes that are hampering the recovery of a population, they can provide more insight into the dynamics of a population than can analyses based simply on overall trends.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colony Dynamics and Persistence of Ivory Gull Breeding in Canada

Robertson¹,

Gilchrist²

2007

ACE

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ABSTRACT. Despite the importance of assessing the viability of small and endangered populations, often few demographic data are available. However, when counts are available from discrete sites, a colony-or site-based approach can be useful. We used recent counts of Ivory Gull, Pagophila eburnea, a rare species that breeds at remote sites in the high Arctic, to model colony dynamics and population persistence. Colonization rates were low at 0.189 ± 0.054 (mean ± SE), new colonies were small (mean: 7.7 pairs), and there was no evidence of local rescue effects from nearby colonies. Based on these rates, a population projection model was constructed using a starting population of 225 pairs at the 24 sites. The projected population reached an equilibrium of approximately 30 pairs in only 8 yr. The large and isolated colony on Seymour Island has declined at 2.7%/yr (95% confidence limits: -13.9, 8.5) since 1974, and had low but wide-ranging probabilities of going extinct within 20 yr. The suggestion that Ellesmere Island may be the only site where breeding Ivory Gull will persist in the future is supported by the recent discovery of new colonies there in 2006.RÉSUMÉ. En dépit de l'importance d'évaluer la viabilité de petites populations en voie de disparition, il existe souvent peu de données démographiques. Toutefois, lorsqu'on dispose de dénombrements pour des sites isolés, une méthode d'analyse par colonie ou par site peut s'avérer utile. Nous avons utilisé des dénombrements récents de Mouettes blanches, Pagophila eburnea, une espèce rare qui se reproduit dans des sites reculés dans le Haut-Arctique, pour modéliser la dynamique des colonies et la pérennité des populations. Les déclins importants observés dans le nombre de couples nichant au Canada sont à l'origine de l'attribution nouvelle du statut « en voie de disparition » à l'espèce par le Comité sur la situation des espèces en péril au

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Colony Dynamics and Persistence of Ivory Gull Breeding in Canada

Robertson¹,

Gilchrist²

2007

ACE

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“…We limited our sampling to islands that were estimated to be smaller than 30 ha; this removed 120 islands leaving 1855 islands available to be sampled (about 6%) (Chaulk et al 2005a). Islands larger than 30 ha are likely to function as, and be perceived as, mainland habitat (Chaulk et al 2006;Robertson and Chaulk 2016). In all, 125 islands were suitable for analysis, in that they included counts of gulls and eiders in two or more years.…”

Section: Census Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, nesting colonies are much more dynamic, with numerous islands being abandoned and new islands colonized each year by both gulls and eiders (Chaulk et al 2006;Robertson and Chaulk 2016), possibly due the dynamics of snow melt and sea ice (Parker and Mehlum 1991;Chaulk et al 2007). In this study, we examine the relationships between colony occupancy and abundance of eiders and large gulls (Great Blackbacked and Herring Gull) nesting along the central coast of Labrador, Canada.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Common Eider and large gull and nesting associations in coastal Labrador

Robertson

Chaulk

2017

Arctic Science

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Apparent nesting associations between avian egg predators and their prey have received much interest, with gulls and waterfowl receiving considerable attention. We examined the co-occurrence of breeding large gulls (Herring Gull (Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763) and Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus L., 1758)) and Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima L., 1758) along the coast of Labrador from 1998 to 2003. Nest counts for large gulls and eiders were undertaken by ground crews on 45-109 islands each year, counting 79-283 and 721-3424 nests annually, respectively. Gulls were more likely to nest on an island with nesting eiders (69.4%) than without nesting eiders (38.4%), and the probability and numbers of gulls nesting on an island increased as eider colony size increased. Large gulls were 1.76 times more likely to occupy islands that had nesting eiders in the previous year, while eiders were equally likely to colonize islands that did or did not have nesting gulls in the previous year. Eiders were no more likely to abandon islands that had nesting gulls in the previous year. In subarctic coastal landscapes, large gulls appear to preferentially nest in association with nesting eiders, while eiders appear not to avoid nesting islands based on the previous presence of large gulls.

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Estimating Population Growth and Recruitment Rates Across the Range of American Common Eiders

et al. 2021

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Sound management of bird populations rests upon an adequate understanding of their population dynamics. Our study evaluated recruitment and population growth rates of 14 American common eider (Somateria mollissima dresseri) colonies from Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Canada, and Maine, USA, during various periods between 1970 and 2019. We used Pradel mark‐recapture models to estimate colony‐specific growth rates and the relative contributions of survival and recruitment on growth. We also validated this approach using annual nest counts (~8,000 pairs) conducted between 2003 and 2019 during down harvest operations in 3 colonies located in the Saint Lawrence estuary in Quebec. There was generally a good agreement between estimates derived using the 2 approaches. We considered that capture‐recapture data were suitable to estimate population trends of common eiders in other colonies, especially for colonies where accurate nest monitoring is impaired by dense vegetation. The breeding abundance declined at major colonies in Maine and Nova Scotia and increased or was stable in Quebec and Labrador. Female survival contributed the most to population growth, but variation in recruitment among colonies was more important than variation in survival to explain population growth. Management measures should thus strive to maximize local recruitment in colonies with declining populations. The assumption that apparent survival probabilities were homogeneous throughout an individual capture history was violated at several colonies in Quebec and Labrador. Using recaptures and band recoveries, we showed that the lower apparent survival for newly marked individuals compared to females that had been recaptured at least once was caused by a difference in site fidelity rather than true survival. But <1% of recaptured females dispersed to another colony for breeding, indicating that the lower site fidelity could be related to heterogeneity in capture probability among individuals. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

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Extinction, colonization, and distribution patterns of common eider populations nesting in a naturally fragmented landscape

Cited by 10 publications

References 60 publications

Colony Dynamics and Persistence of Ivory Gull Breeding in Canada

Colony Dynamics and Persistence of Ivory Gull Breeding in Canada

Common Eider and large gull and nesting associations in coastal Labrador

Estimating Population Growth and Recruitment Rates Across the Range of American Common Eiders

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