Introduction: A Historical Perspective on Trends in Some Gulls in Eastern North America, with Reference to Other Regions

Anderson, John; Shlepr, Katherine R.; Bond, Alexander L.; Ronconi, Robert A.

doi:10.1675/063.039.sp106

Cited by 20 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Similar population trends have been found elsewhere in the western Atlantic, including the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, and Maine (MacKinnon and Kennedy 2014, Anderson et al 2016), and may be associated with the reduction in anthropogenic food availability, such as fishery discards (Regular et al 2013. However, as previously mentioned, lobster landings in the Bay of Fundy have increased considerably (DFO 2013a, DFO 2015 over this same period, leading to an increase in an alternative prey source (discarded bait from lobster traps), yet there has been no corresponding increase in Herring Gull abundance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…We predicted positive correlations between Herring Gull egg volume and fisheries landings, but we had no a priori expectations on the direction or magnitude of SST or NAO effects. Overall, we expected to see declining population estimates, in keeping with regional trends (Anderson et al 2016) that may be associated with declines in egg production including lower clutch size and egg volume. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In recent decades, there have been declines in Herring Gull populations throughout much of the North Atlantic region (Anderson et al 2016). Proposed factors implicated with these population changes range from anthropogenic activities, such as waste management (Pons 1992), and interactions with commercial fisheries (Boyne andBeukens 2004, Wilhelm et al 2016), to natural evolutionary trajectories due to predation and interspecific interactions (MacKinnon and Kennedy 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on recent environmental and ecological changes in this region, and in light of declining populations observed elsewhere along the Atlantic coast of North America (Anderson et al 2016), we expected to see declines in population size of Herring Gulls nesting on the three islands. Considering that egg production in gulls may be sensitive to longterm changes in environmental conditions or food availability (Blight 2011) and that the diet of gulls from Kent Island is primarily of marine sources (Steenweg et al 2011), we used archived Herring Gull egg measurements (from 1988 to present) and a modeling approach to examine whether changes in ocean climate and fisheries related prey availability may be contributing to demographic changes observed on Kent Island.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variability in egg size and population declines of Herring Gulls in relation to fisheries and climate conditions

Bennett¹,

Jamieson²,

Ronconi³

et al. 2017

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ABSTRACT. Changes in clutch and egg size in many avian species have been linked to seasonal variation, female physiological state, and laying date during breeding season. These reproductive variables have also been linked to population status and habitat variables. Recent declines in Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) populations in the Atlantic region may be associated with environmental changes, fishery activities, or natural species interactions and fluctuations. We studied variability and trends in Herring Gull egg, clutch, and population size at a cluster of three islands of the Grand Manan Archipelago in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. A generalized linear model investigating variability in Herring Gull egg volume over a 28-year period (1988 to 2015) showed increasing egg volume since a low in 2000, significant positive correlations with regional fisheries landings, and weak interactions with sea surface temperature and the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Herring Gull egg size decreased by 11.6% from 1988 to 2000, but both egg size and clutch size have increased significantly since 2001. A 2015/2016 population estimate of the three islands showed a 36% decline in Herring Gull numbers since 2001. Changes in annual and seasonal availability of various fishery related food sources, specifically decreasing Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) and groundfish landings and increasing American lobster (Homarus americanus) landings, may be linked to these increases in reproductive variables. However, it appears that other factors may be influencing the declining gull population because despite increased availability of alternative food sources and increased clutch size and egg volume, there has been no documented increase in abundance. Interspecific interactions, anthropogenic activities, and climatic variability may also have a role in these population dynamics. Variabilité de la taille des oeufs et baisse des populations chez le Goéland argenté en relation avec la pêche commerciale et les conditions climatiquesRÉSUMÉ. Les changements dans la taille des oeufs et de la ponte chez plusieurs espèces d'oiseaux ont été associés aux variations saisonnières, à l'état physiologique des femelles et à la date de ponte pendant la saison de nidification. Des diminutions récentes des populations de Goélands argentés (Larus argentatus) dans la région de l'Atlantique seraient peut-être liées à des changements environnementaux, aux activités de pêche ou aux interactions et fluctuations naturelles des espèces. Nous avons étudié la variabilité et la tendance de la taille des oeufs, de la ponte et des populations dans un groupe de trois îles dans l'archipel de Grand Manan dans la baie de Fundy, Canada. Un modèle linéaire généralisé conçu pour examiner la variabilité du volume des oeufs de ce goéland sur une période de 28 ans (1988 à 2015) a révélé un volume croissant depuis un minimum atteint en 2000, une corrélation positive significative avec les débarquements de pêche commerciale régionale et de faibles interactions avec la ...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variability in egg size and population declines of Herring Gulls in relation to fisheries and climate conditions

Bennett¹,

Jamieson²,

Ronconi³

et al. 2017

ACE

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“…While an average adult will have 19 breeding seasons at 95% survival, the number of breeding seasons is reduced to 10 at 90% survival, and six at 85% survival [13]. Declines in Herring Gull abundance have been observed at colonies across Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States [14, 15]. These declines have been correlated with decreases in fisheries discards due to the collapse of groundfish fisheries and reduced forage fish availability [16, 17], however this is most likely to influence abundance through effects on chick survival rather than adult survival [18, 19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter home range and habitat selection differs among breeding populations of herring gulls in eastern North America

et al. 2019

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Background Recognizing the factors influencing migratory individuals throughout their annual cycle is important for understanding the drivers of population dynamics. Previous studies have found that Herring Gulls ( Larus argentatus ) in the Atlantic region have lower survival rates than those in the Great Lakes and the Arctic. One possible explanation for divergent survival rates among these populations is differences in their non-breeding habitats. Methods We tracked Herring Gulls from five populations, breeding in the eastern Arctic, the Great Lakes, Newfoundland, Sable Island, and the Bay of Fundy. We assessed the extent of migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering sites, and tested if there were differences in home range size or habitat selection among these populations during the winter. Results The tracked Herring Gulls had strong migratory connectivity between their breeding and wintering areas. We found that Herring Gulls from the Arctic spent most of the winter in marine habitats, while the other populations used a wider variety of habitats. However, the Newfoundland and Sable Island populations selected for urban habitats, and almost all individuals the specialized in urban habitats came from one of the three Atlantic populations. Conclusions Our results suggest that there could potentially be a link between urban habitat use during the winter and reduced adult survival in Atlantic Canada Herring Gulls. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40462-019-0152-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Age and season predict influenza A virus dynamics in urban gulls: consequences for natural hosts in unnatural landscapes

Ineson

Hill

Clark³

et al. 2021

Ecological Applications

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Gulls are ubiquitous in urban areas due to a growing reliance on anthropogenic feeding sites, which has led to changes in their abundance, distribution, and migration ecology, with implications for disease transmission. Gulls offer a valuable model for testing hypotheses regarding the dynamics of influenza A virus (IAV) – for which gulls are a natural reservoir in urban areas. We sampled sympatric populations of Ring‐billed (Larus delawarensis), Herring (L. argentatus), and Great Black‐backed Gulls (L. marinus) along the densely populated Atlantic rim of North America to understand how IAV transmission is influenced by drivers such as annual cycle, host species, age, habitat type, and their interplay. We found that horizontal transmission, rather than vertical transmission, played an outsized role in the amplification of IAV due to the convergence of gulls from different breeding grounds and age classes. We detected overlapping effects of age and season in our prevalence model, identifying juveniles during autumn as the primary drivers of the seasonal epidemic in gulls. Gulls accumulated immunity over their lifespan, however short‐term fluctuations in seroprevalence were observed, suggesting that migration may impose limits on the immune system to maintain circulating antibodies. We found that gulls in coastal urban habitats had higher viral prevalence than gulls captured inland, correlating with higher richness of waterbird species along the coast, a mechanism supported by our movement data. The peak in viral prevalence in newly fledged gulls that are capable of long‐distance movement has important implications for the spread of pathogens to novel hosts during the migratory season as well as for human health as gulls increasingly utilize urban habitats.

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Introduction: A Historical Perspective on Trends in Some Gulls in Eastern North America, with Reference to Other Regions

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 20 publications

References 67 publications

Variability in egg size and population declines of Herring Gulls in relation to fisheries and climate conditions

Variability in egg size and population declines of Herring Gulls in relation to fisheries and climate conditions

Winter home range and habitat selection differs among breeding populations of herring gulls in eastern North America

Age and season predict influenza A virus dynamics in urban gulls: consequences for natural hosts in unnatural landscapes

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