Foraging distances of a resident yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) population in relation to refuse management on a local scale

Arizaga, Juan; Aldalur, Asier; Herrero, Alfredo; Cuadrado, Juan F.; Díez, Eneko; Crespo, Ariñe

doi:10.1007/s10344-013-0761-4

Cited by 37 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Both populations were established recently, probably as the result of recruitment from nearby colonies and abundance of fishery discards. The yellow-legged gull is a large-sized (average body mass, 800-1200 g) and generalist species with a plastic foraging behaviour (Moreno et al 2010, Arizaga et al 2014). This species feeds opportunistically on fishery discards and refuse tips from anthropogenic activities (Duhem et al 2008.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and annual differences in the foraging ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry and their use of fishery discards

Calado

Matos

Ramos

et al. 2018

Journal of Avian Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Niche segregation between similar species will result from an avoidance of competition but also from environmental variability, including nowadays anthropogenic activities. Gulls are among the seabirds with greater behavioural plasticity, being highly opportunistic and feeding on a wide range of prey, mostly from anthropogenic origin. Here, we analysed blood and feather stable isotopes combined with pellet analysis to investigate niche partitioning between Audouin's gull Larus audouinii and yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis breeding in sympatry at Deserta Island, southern Portugal, during 2014 and 2015. During the breeding season there was considerable overlap in the adults' diet, as their stable isotope values of blood and primary feather (P1) did not differ, and their pellets were comprised mainly by marine fish species. However, Audouin's gulls presented higher occurrences of pelagic fish, while yellow-legged gulls fed more on demersal fish, insects, and refuse. SIAR mixing models also estimated a higher proportion of demersal fish in the diet of yellow-legged gulls. We also found differences between the two gull species in chicks' feathers, suggesting that Audouin's gull adults selected prey with lower carbon isotope values to feed their young. Secondary feather (S8) of Audouin's gull presented higher isotope values compared to yellow-legged gulls, indicating different foraging areas (δ 13 C) and/ or trophic levels (δ 15 N) between the two species in the non-breeding season. During both the all-year and non-breeding periods the yellow-legged gull showed a broader isotopic niche width than Audouin's gull in 2013, and in 2014 the two gull species exhibited different isotopic niche spaces. Our study suggests that both gull species foraged in association with fisheries during the breeding season. In this sense, a discard ban implemented under the new European Union Common Fisheries Policy may lead to a food shortage, therefore future research should closely monitor the population dynamics of Audouin's and yellow-legged gulls.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and annual differences in the foraging ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry and their use of fishery discards

Calado

Matos

Ramos

et al. 2018

Journal of Avian Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Hence, distance seems to play a role in determining the number of visits to each foraging site, and LBBG compensates for travel costs to a more distant foraging site by spending more time there (see also Arizaga et al., ). Movement data also show that individual LBBG frequently switched between the four foraging sites within and between winters (results not shown), probably in relation to changes in the quantity of food available (Arizaga et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Quantifying nutrient inputs by gulls to a fluctuating lake, aided by movement ecology methods

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is a global problem with major ecological and economic impacts. In many lakes and reservoirs, guanotrophication occurs when roosting waterbirds import nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from surrounding terrestrial habitats. To date, nutrient loading by waterbirds has been estimated based on censuses in the absence of detailed information on their movements. We quantified nutrient importation by the lesser black‐backed gull (Larus fuscus) to Fuente de Piedra (1,350 ha) in Andalusia (south‐west Spain), where an average of 36,288 individuals are counted in January. During seven winters from 2010 to 2017, we used movement data from 20 individual gulls tagged with Global Positioning System trackers that foraged in four landfills. Together with monthly bird counts and measurements of total N and P content in faeces and pellet samples, movement data were used to quantify the total external loading effect for different winters. Movement data allowed us to quantify the proportion of time spent in the lake and the time spent at different foraging sites and enabled correction of censuses. According to tracking data, on average 69% of the birds had already left the lake to head for feeding sites when waterbird counts were carried out. Nutrient inputs to the lake depend partly on the proportion of the day that gulls spend there, which was higher in late winters and was reduced when lake depth went below or above 20–35 cm. An estimated average of 10.17 kg N ha−1 year−1 and 2.07 kg P ha−1 year−1 were imported to this closed‐basin lake by gulls each winter, with highest values recorded in winter 2016–2017. Gull guano is the most important winter source of nutrients to the lake. Regurgitated pellets have been ignored as a source of nutrients in other guanotrophy studies, but we found them to be a more important source of P than faeces. A movement ecology approach complements traditional censuses and facilitates the study of guanotrophication in multiple ways, including identification of sources of nutrients, correction of censuses, and measuring time spent at roost sites.

show abstract

“…Posteriormente, tras el cierre de cierto número de vertederos en la zona o el uso de cetrería para dificultar el acceso a gaviotas en otros (Arizaga et al, 2013a), cabe pensar que el uso de recursos tróficos alternativos, como son los invertebrados de origen terrestre (principalmente, lombrices), haya aumentado. Resultados preliminares (no publicados) basados en un estudio sobre la dieta de la población apoyan este planteamiento.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Uso del espacio por adultos de gaviota patiamarilla Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840 durante el periodo reproductor: resultados preliminares en relación al uso de vertederos.

Arizaga¹,

Laso²,

Zorrozua³

et al. 2017

Munibe, Cienc. nat.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ResumenEn la actualidad, con el progresivo cierre de vertederos, nos situamos en un marco experimental ideal para estudiar cómo afecta la reducción drástica de un recurso trófico en la ecología, dinámica poblacional y movimientos de una especie con alto interés en la gestión, como es la gaviota patiamarilla Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840. En este contexto, en 2016 se equiparon con GPS un total de 10 ejemplares adultos de gaviota patiamarilla en una de las colonias de cría de Gipuzkoa, de los que sólo 4 proporcionaron datos hasta el 31.07.2016. El análisis preliminar aporta información básica sobre el uso del territorio durante una parte del periodo reproductor. El porcentaje de localizaciones se distribuyó de esta manera: 60% en la colonia; 18% en otro tipo de hábitats; 12% en prados y cultivos; y 6.5% en vertederos. Se detecta, así, un relativo alto uso de los prados y cultivos del entorno de la colonia, así como de dos de los vertederos más importantes de la región. Por otro lado, parece existir alta variabilidad individual en el uso del territorio que podría reflejar diferentes estrategias en la búsqueda de alimento.Palabras clave: Dispositivos GPS, ecología espacial, especies oportunistas, Gipuzkoa, vertederos. AbstractToday, the progressive closure of landfills provides a good opportunity to study how this affects the drastic reduction of a food resource on the ecology, population dynamics and movement patterns of opportunistic species, such as the yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840. Against this background, in 2016, we captured 10 adult breeding gulls in one of the main breeding colonies in Gipuzkoa. These individuals were equipped with a GPS device. Only four of them provided data up to the end of the breeding period (31.07.2016). Preliminary analyses provide basic information about spatial use and trophic habitat during the breeding period (colony: 60%; other habitat types: 18%; grasslands/crops: 12%; dumps: 6,5%). An apparently relatively high use of grasslands and crops is confirmed, as well as the use of two of the largest landfills in the region. We also observed a very high individual variation in territory use, which might reflect different foraging strategies.Key words: GPS device, spatial ecology, opportunistic species, Gipuzkoa, dumps. LaburpenaEgun, urratsez urrats zabortegiak ixten ari direlarik, testuinguru esperimental ezin hobean gaude ikertzeko nola eragiten dion baliabide trofiko baten erabateko murrizketak maila ekologikoan, populazio dinamikan eta mugimenduetan, baliabide horren kudeaketarekin lotura handia duen kaio hankahoriari, Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840.

show abstract

Foraging distances of a resident yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) population in relation to refuse management on a local scale

Cited by 37 publications

References 14 publications

Seasonal and annual differences in the foraging ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry and their use of fishery discards

Seasonal and annual differences in the foraging ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry and their use of fishery discards

Quantifying nutrient inputs by gulls to a fluctuating lake, aided by movement ecology methods

Uso del espacio por adultos de gaviota patiamarilla Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840 durante el periodo reproductor: resultados preliminares en relación al uso de vertederos.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About