Reactions of ground-nesting marine birds to human disturbance in the Canadian Arctic

Abstract

I studied the reactions of five ground-nesting marine bird species (Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), Sabine's gull (Xema sabini), common eider (Somateria mollissima), longtailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), and Ross' gull (Rhodostethia rosea)) breeding in the low and high Arctic to disturbance from nearby aircraft as well as avian flight initiation response to humans approaching on foot. All species except nesting long-tailed ducks and common eiders departed their nest when overhead aircraft were within 200 m, with loafing birds often flying off when aircraft were still 1 km away. There was considerable individual and species-specific variation in responses to approaching humans, with some nesting birds not flushing from their nest until touched by a researcher (e.g., waterfowl, 0 m), while others flushed when people were 400 m away (Ross's gull). Excluding Ross's gulls, 95% of the individuals of most species did not initiate flight until humans were ≤100 m from the nest, suggesting that this might represent a minimum, suitable "buffer zone" around nesting colonies for nonmotorized human activities.Key words: marine bird, nest, disturbance, Arctic, flush.Résumé : J'ai étudié les réactions de cinq espèces d'oiseaux marins (sterne arctique (Sterna paradisaea), mouette de Sabine (Xema sabini), eider à duvet (Somateria mollissima), harelde kakawi (Clangula hyemalis) et mouette rosée (Rhodostethia rosea)) se reproduisant dans le BasArctique et le Haut-Arctique, et ce, dans un environnement de perturbations causées par des aéronefs à proximité, ainsi que le déclenchement du vol aviaire en réaction à des humains s'approchant à pied. Toutes les espèces, sauf les hareldes kakawis et les eiders à duvet qui nichaient, ont quitté leur nid lorsqu'un aéronef survolait à une distance inférieure à 200 m, alors que les oiseaux au repos s'envolaient souvent lorsque les aéronefs se trouvaient encore à une distance de 1 km. Il y avait une grande variation individuelle et spécifique à l'espèce en ce qui a trait aux réponses à l'approche des humains, alors que quelques oiseaux nicheurs ne s'envolaient pas de leur nid jusqu'à ce qu'un chercheur les touche (ex., sauvagine, 0 m), tandis que d'autres s'envolaient lorsque les personnes étaient à 400 m (mouette rosée). En excluant les mouettes rosées, 95% des individus de la plupart des espèces n'ont pas amorcé le vol jusqu'à ce que les humains soient à ≤100 m du nid, suggérant que ceci peut représenter une « zone tampon » minimale et appropriée autour de la nidification des colonies, et ce, pour les activités humaines non motorisées.

The effectiveness of regulatory signs in controlling human behaviour and Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) disturbance during breeding: an experimental test

“…Our study showed that number of visitors, group size and proximity of approach all influenced the level of disturbance to some extent in prospecting and breeding birds, all of which have previously been reported as important in one or more studies ( Beale & Monaghan, 2004 ; Blumstein, Anthony, Harcourt, & Ross, 2003 ; Geist, Liao, Libby, & Blumstein, 2005 ; Glover, Westona, Maguire, Miller, & Christie, 2011 ; Holmes et al, 2005 ; Mallory, 2016 ; Steidl & Anthony, 2000 ; Weston et al, 2012 ). For breeding birds, and in agreement with existing literature ( Burger & Gochfeld, 1993 ), proximity of approach was the most important factor in breeding bird displacements ( Fig.…”

Assessing nest attentiveness of Common Terns via video cameras and temperature loggers

“…As colonial nesters, Larids have two main responses to predators. First, birds may aggressively mob a predator in an effort to drive it away from the colony (Gotmark and Andersson 1984;Palestis 2005;Mallory 2016), though the level of aggression towards the predator is likely a function of adult size and experience with the predator (Clode et al 2000;Nordstrom et al 2004). The second response to predator presence is the forming of large evasive flocks composed of numerous adults (Burger and Gochfeld 1991;Meehan and Nisbet 2002), which can occur as generally short duration upflights (normally diurnal) or longer duration desertions (generally nocturnal).…”

Inuit knowledge of Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) and perspectives on declining abundance in southeastern Hudson Bay, Canada

“…Among contributors who suggested conducting more research, some stressed the importance of ensuring that no harm is done to terns during research, thereby supporting the idea of 'showing respect' to terns, a value that has been passed through generations among Inuit from Kuujjuaraapik. Interestingly, according to a previous survey conducted in the Canadian High Arctic, Arctic Terns did not modify their nesting behaviour unexpectedly, possibly habituating to scientists who visited the colony on a daily basis [10], but overall behaving consistent with parental investment theory [66].…”