Habitat and social factors influence nest-site selection in Arctic-breeding shorebirds

Cunningham, Jenny A.; Kesler, Dylan C.; Lanctot, Richard B.

doi:10.1642/auk-15-196.1

Cited by 43 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…We therefore lumped species into “cover‐nesting” and “open‐nesting” categories. Based on our results and previous studies (Cunningham et al., ; Smith et al., ), we classified Red Phalarope, Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpiper and White‐rumped Sandpiper as cover‐nesting species because they selected nest sites in vegetation that concealed their nests. We classified American Golden‐Plover, Black‐bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover and Ruddy Turnstone as open‐nesting species because they selected exposed nest sites with little vegetation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…The densities of “cover‐nesting” shorebirds that use vegetation to conceal their nests from predators (Cunningham et al., ; Smith et al., ) were ~20 and ~15 times greater at the Low goose influence area compared to the High and Moderate areas respectively. Species such as the Red Phalarope, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin and White‐rumped Sandpiper preferred nest sites with greater coverage of sedge meadow and higher lateral concealment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hyperabundant herbivores limit habitat availability and influence nest site selection of Arctic‐breeding birds

Flemming

Nol

Kennedy

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Understanding an organism's habitat selection and behavioural flexibility in the face of environmental change can help managers plan for future conservation of that species. Hyperabundant tundra‐nesting geese are influencing Arctic environments through their foraging activities. Goose‐induced habitat change in Arctic wetlands may influence the availability of habitat for numerous shorebird species that breed sympatrically with geese. We explore whether goose‐induced habitat alteration affects shorebird breeding density and nest site selection. Using habitat data collected at sites with High, Moderate and Low goose influence, and samples collected during two periods separated by 11 years, we document the habitat characteristics influenced by geese. We describe the habitat characteristics preferred by shorebirds and relate their availability to goose influence and shorebird density. Finally, we examine whether shorebird nest site selection has changed over time and whether shorebirds select nest sites differently in habitat influenced by geese. We document spatial and temporal changes in sedge meadow habitat and lateral concealment relating to goose influence. The availability of sedge meadow habitat and the degree of lateral concealment declined with increasing goose influence, and also declined at two sites over the 11 years of the study. Densities of both cover‐ and open‐nesting shorebirds were highest where goose influence was lowest. At sites with Low goose influence, cover‐nesting shorebirds selected nest sites with more sedge meadow and concealment than at sites with Moderate and High goose influence, presumably because these high‐quality sites were more available. Synthesis and applications. Intensive foraging by a colony of hyperabundant geese is limiting the availability of preferred nesting habitat and densities of sympatric‐nesting shorebirds. Where goose‐induced habitat alteration is pronounced shorebird species that select concealed nest sites are nesting in areas with lower concealment and less sedge meadow. Studies examining the degree to which these effects scale up to impact the population sizes of declining shorebirds should be considered a future research priority. Moreover, management strategies for geese should incorporate the habitat needs of sympatric species and reinvigorate efforts for goose population reduction in order to achieve the population targets articulated by management agencies.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperabundant herbivores limit habitat availability and influence nest site selection of Arctic‐breeding birds

Flemming

Nol

Kennedy

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…, Cunningham et al. ). In the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, habitat suitability for eight species of shorebird was found to be positively related to the proportional cover of lowland habitat (Saalfeld et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…) and Pectoral Sandpiper ( Calidris melanotos ; Cunningham et al. ) nest in lowland sedge‐dominated wet meadows and therefore may be prone to goose‐induced changes in vegetation height or lateral concealment in sedge‐dominated meadows.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We found that bird abundance was positively correlated with the proportion of lowland habitat present in plots. Many shorebird and passerine species select wet sedge-dominated sites for nesting and, specifically, select nest sites with higher vegetative cover that conceals nests from predators (Smith et al 2007a, Walpole et al 2008, Cunningham et al 2016). In the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, habitat suitability for eight species of shorebird was found to be positively related to the proportional cover of lowland habitat (Saalfeld et al 2013).…”

Section: Habitat Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Broad‐scale changes in tundra‐nesting bird abundance in response to hyperabundant geese

et al. 2019

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Environmental changes can propagate through food webs in complex ways via trophic cascades. In the North American Arctic, hyperabundant populations of geese are causing significant habitat change and the resulting trophic cascades are known to impact plant and invertebrate communities. However, the potential impacts on other tundra‐nesting birds are not fully understood. Here, we evaluate the impacts of light geese (Snow Geese, Chen caerulescens, and Ross’ Goose, Chen rossii) populations on other tundra‐nesting birds, using count data collected during bird surveys conducted at varying distances from light goose colonies across the Canadian Arctic. From a dataset of 920 12–16 ha plots distributed across the Canadian Arctic, we identified 527 that were within 200 km of the mapped extent of known light goose colonies. After accounting for regional variation, we demonstrate that densities of most Cover‐Nesting Shorebirds and passerines are depressed in the vicinity of light goose colonies. We suggest that these trends are the results of the combined effects of goose‐induced changes in habitat and predator–prey interactions. These direct and indirect effects of light geese could be contributing to the declines experienced by some tundra‐nesting bird populations in parts of their range. Ongoing climate‐related changes to habitat, predators, and arthropods could interact with this effect of geese to further alter the suitability of tundra habitats for Arctic‐breeding birds, in additive or even unanticipated ways.

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Assessing trade‐offs in developing a landscape‐scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird

Ellis,

Anteau,

MacDonald

et al. 2024

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Effective monitoring of wildlife species requires thorough planning and development of survey programmes that can address management and conservation objectives. Decisions about monitoring programmes include where to survey, survey design and how much effort to allocate at survey sites are typically predicated on limited budgets and available resources. When the scope of inference requires monitoring on a broad spatial scale, predictions of habitat distribution or suitability may be useful for identifying potential survey sites. We focused on a threatened but widely distributed shorebird, the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), which is actively monitored across some, but not all of its range. Our objective was to use piping plover habitat distribution maps, which vary annually, to assess the effectiveness of multiple monitoring programme scenarios and their associated costs. In the breeding range, efforts to improve productivity for species of conservation concern often focus on improving probabilities of nest survival. Consequently, collecting adequate nesting data is crucial for obtaining accurate and precise estimates of nest survival and for evaluating the effectiveness of management actions. By simulating the nest monitoring process, we evaluated how much area, where and how often to survey each site when estimating nest survival and detecting effects of potential management actions. As expected, precision increased and bias decreased around nest survival estimates with greater survey coverage and nest visit frequency. We also identified monitoring programmes with negative net values where survey costs outweighed statistical benefits. Although we applied our simulation framework to evaluate nest monitoring designs for piping plovers, it could be extended to assess whether different monitoring programmes can detect changes in the distribution of other species or occupancy of habitats over time.

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Habitat and social factors influence nest-site selection in Arctic-breeding shorebirds

Cited by 43 publications

References 43 publications

Hyperabundant herbivores limit habitat availability and influence nest site selection of Arctic‐breeding birds

Hyperabundant herbivores limit habitat availability and influence nest site selection of Arctic‐breeding birds

Broad‐scale changes in tundra‐nesting bird abundance in response to hyperabundant geese

Assessing trade‐offs in developing a landscape‐scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird

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