Effects of Human Disturbance on Reproductive Success in the Black Skimmer
Ornithological ApplicationsPublished 1 May 1983Open access
Carl Safina, Joanna Burger
Citations141
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
The effects of human disturbance is quantified, stages of the breeding season when skimmers are most sensitive to disturbance are identified, and the feasibility of enclosing groups of nests in fences to reduce chick mortality is tested.
Abstract
We subjected Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger), nesting in six subcolonies within a tern colony, to either daily or weekly nest checks in order to study the effects of human activity on reproduction. Many prelaying adults left subcolonies that were disturbed daily and settled in relatively undisturbed subcolonies; some pairs in these areas deserted nests early in incubation. Nest density, late nesting, hatching success, and fledging success were inversely correlated with disturbance. In consequence of disturbance, a few chicks ate younger conspecifics. Low fences placed around groups of nests depressed fledging in areas disturbed weekly, but enhanced it in subcolonies disturbed daily.
Keywords
Agricultural and Biological SciencesEnvironmental Science
EcologyInfluence of Food Distribution and Human Disturbance on the Reproductive Success of Herring Gulls
203 Citations1972George L. Hunt
It is concluded that differences in parental behavior associated with greater foraging effort were responsible for a higher loss of chicks to predation on the outer islands.
IbisASPECTS OF THE BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE GULLS
194 Citations1964M. P. Harris
Minimal weights of testes in Larus argentatus, L. fuscus and L. marinus were found to occur during November and December, and minimal ovary weights between August and January, and details are given of the changes in gonad size in relation to the breeding cycle.
Journal of Animal EcologyAge, Experience and Other Factors Affecting the Breeding Success of the Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, in Orkney
178 Citations1978Janet C. Ollason, G. M. Dunnet
Breeding success shows a significant positive correlation with age in fulmars with not more than three years breeding experience and capture, especially of birds recorded breeding for the first time, reduces their success in the year of capture, and reduces the proportion of these birds seen breeding in the following year.
EcologyGull Chick Survival: The Significance of Growth Rates, Timing of Breeding and Territory Size
172 Citations1976George L. Hunt, Molly W. Hunt
A model of chick survival in relation to timing of bteeding predicts that when neighbor interference is the major cause of chick mortality, chicks hatching in the middle of the breeding season will have the highest probability of surviving, while chicks raised on large territories will most likely avoid neighbor interference.
Biological ConservationHuman interference and gull predation in cormorant colonies
116 Citations1975Channing R. Kury, Michael Gochfeld
Observations of the behaviour of double-crested cormorants and king shag and dolphin gulls indicate that certain predictable offensive and defensive interactions occur when breeding birds are disturbed, suggesting that interference with normal breeding activities and the resulting reduction in productivity of c Cormorants can be minimised in colonies where human access is carefully regulated.
Ornithological ApplicationsEffects of Human Disturbance on the Breeding Success of Gulls
98 Citations1975Henry C. Robert, C. John Ralph
This paper focuses on the breeding biology of the gulls Larus argentatus, L. fuscus, and L. marinus and their role in the population dynamics of herring and Ring-billed Gull populations of the Great Lakes between 1960 and 1965.
IbisINTRASPECIFIC PREDATION AND COLONIAL BREEDING IN LESSER BLACK‐BACKED GULLS <i>LARUS FUSCUS</i>
91 Citations1976John W. Davis, E. K. Dunn
The increasing nest densities in this colony caused by the growth of the gull population are thought to be responsible for the widespread intraspecific predation, the intensity of which is probably a new feature of the gliding gulls' breeding behaviour.
The AukReproductive Ecology of the Western Gull: The Importance of Nest Spacing
86 Citations1975George L. Hunt, Molly W. Hunt
The causes of chick mortality are identified and the reproductive success of pairs are related to aspects of spacing of nests and timing, depending upon the relative importance of predators or neighbors for chick loss.
IbisTHE BREEDING ECOLOGY OF ROYAL TERNS STERNA (THALASSEUS) MAXIMA MAXIMA
84 Citations1972Francine G. Buckley, P. A. Buckley
The breeding ecology of the New World race of the Royal Tern Sterna maxima maxima was studied at colonies in Virginia and North Carolina, U.S.A., from 1967 to 1970, and interactions between the two species are discussed.
Ornithological ApplicationsEffects of Human Activity on Egg and Chick Mortality in a Glaucous-Winged Gull Colony
76 Citations1975William Humphrey Gillett, James L. Hayward +1 more
This paper focuses on the breeding ecology of the Glaucous-winged Gull on Mandarte Island, B.C. and the development of parental feeding in the Oystercatcher.
Animal BehaviourSpecies interactions in a mixed colony of common terns (Sterna hirundo) and black skimmers (Rynchops niger)
50 Citations1979R. Michael Erwin
Black skimmers appear to derive a ‘protective cover’ benefit from nesting among the terns, and neither nest-site limitation nor food ‘information-sharing’ appear to account for the species associations.
Biodiversity Heritage Library (Smithsonian Institution)Nesting Density, Habitat Structure and Human Disturbance as Factors in Black Guillemot Reproduction
45 Citations1980D. K. Cairns
Investigation of relations among habitat structure, nesting density, breeding success and behavior in the Black Guillemot found that the BlackGuillemot is not well adapted for colonial nesting.
BehaviourAggressive Behaviour of Black Skimmers (Rynchops Niger)
18 Citations1981Joanna Burger
Differences in the aggressive behaviour of skimmers suggest that interspecific defense is an appropriate response to the real threat of chick loss due to other birds (of both species).