Lake Superior herring gulls benefit from anthropogenic food subsidies in a prey–impoverished aquatic environment

Serré, Serina; Irvine, Courtney; Williams, Kim; Hebert, Craig E.

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2022.08.008

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…reduced impact of anthropogenic chemicals, increased predation on herring gulls should be considered a natural process that does not merit predator management. Significant predation combined with other stressors, such as diminished availability of aquatic food resources (Laurich et al 2019; Serré et al 2022), will likely continue to act together to regulate the PNP Herring Gull population. Understanding factors affecting Herring Gull populations is critical information for park management as it reflects how the local ecosystem is responding to both small- and large-scale influences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The camera installation and image analysis methods were identical in both years. In 2018, nests were additionally disturbed through the collection of one egg from each nest for separate research (Hebert et al 2022; Serré et al 2022).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2019). Predation is one of many factors that may be contributing to the decline of PNP's gull population (Serré et al 2022). Herring Gulls are prey to a variety of diurnal and nocturnal mammalian and avian predators (Weseloh et al 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Herring Gull population in Pukaskwa National Park (PNP), located on Lake Superior, has decreased by 70% over the last 40 years, with the 2017 census finding a total of 268 nests in the park (Laurich et al 2019). Predation is one of many factors that may be contributing to the decline of PNP's gull population (Serré et al 2022). Herring Gulls are prey to a variety of diurnal and nocturnal mammalian and avian predators (Weseloh et al 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Great Horned Owls Affect Herring Gull Nest Attentiveness

Serré,

Irvine,

Lockhart

et al. 2023

Waterbirds

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Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) populations in Pukaskwa National Park have declined by 70% over the last 40 years. Populations of avian predators that prey on Herring Gulls have increased which could be a significant factor impacting gull populations. Here, we investigate Herring Gull daytime and nighttime nest attentiveness at locations with and without evidence of nocturnal predators. In 2017, Herring Gull nest attentiveness was examined at two sites using remote cameras. At one of those sites Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) predation was observed, and gull nighttime nest attentiveness was lower there than at the site where owls were not observed. There were no inter-site differences in daytime nest attentiveness. In 2018, Herring Gull nest attentiveness was further investigated at the site where owls were present. At that site, Herring Gull nighttime nest attentiveness was significantly lower than during the day. Extended periods of absence of gulls from their nests during the night corresponded with the presence of owls. Predation of nest contents, in addition to the effects of other environmental stressors, are likely contributing to declines in Pukaskwa National Park's Herring Gull population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Great Horned Owls Affect Herring Gull Nest Attentiveness

Serré,

Irvine,

Lockhart

et al. 2023

Waterbirds

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“…Prey switching, as may be happening in urban storks, has been noted in the white ibis (Eudocimus albus; Kushlan 1979, Dorn et al 2011, another south Florida wading bird, and in waterbirds globally (e.g., Australian white ibis Threskiornis molucca (Chard et al 2018), grey heron Ardea cinerea (Jakubas & Manikowska 2011), Larus spp. (Hostetter et al 2022, Serré et al 2022, Phalacrocoracidae (Lehikoinen 2005, Hostetter et al 2022). In our models, colony type had only a moderate influence on productivity in favour of urban breeders (average estimate: -0.38, 95% CI: -1.01 to 0.25), but high trash consumption was associated with high productivity of storks at the nest level as one of the three most influential parameters (average estimate: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.02-1.46).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commuters: a waterbird provides a new view of how species may utilize cities and wildlands

2023

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Traditional classifications of vertebrates’ responses to urbanization fail to capture the behaviour of those that rely on both urban and wildland resources for population persistence. Here, we use the wood stork (Mycteria americana), a species that makes daily foraging trips up to 74 km away from its nest, as an example of a previously unrecognized response to urbanization. We monitored nests and sampled diets at stork colonies in south Florida (USA) during 2014–2020 to investigate how storks use urban habitats. We found that urban development now comprises up to 51.6% of the land cover within the 30-km core foraging area surrounding colonies and that storks access alternative prey types within these urban areas. Our results also showed that urban-nesting storks outperformed wildland-nesting storks when the hydrological condition of the wetlands was suboptimal for foraging. Though storks still require healthy wetlands for population persistence, urban habitat benefitted storks when hydrological patterns were not ideal for prey production in wildlands. This ‘commuter’ response to urbanization, whereby individuals opt to utilize both urban and wildland resources within short time periods, may apply to other vertebrates with large home ranges.

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