Nesting Behavior of the Gull-Billed Tern
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TREND NOTE Number 021, October 2012
SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE TREND NOTE Number 021, October 2012 SEABIRDS IN SCOTLAND Prepared by Simon Foster and Sue Marrs of SNH Knowledge Information Management Unit using results from the Seabird Monitoring Programme and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee Scotland has internationally important populations of several seabirds. Their conservation is assisted through a network of designated sites. Figure 1 shows the distribution of the 50 Special Protection Areas (SPA) which have seabirds listed as a feature of interest. The map shows the widespread nature of the sites and the predominance of important seabird areas on the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland), where some of our largest seabird colonies are present. The most recent estimate of seabird populations was obtained from Birds of Scotland (Forrester et al., 2007). Table 1 shows the population levels for all seabirds regularly breeding in Scotland. Table 1: Population Estimates for Breeding Seabirds in Scotland. Figure 1: Special Protection Areas for Seabirds Breeding in Scotland. Species* Unit** Estimate Key Points Northern fulmar 486,000 AOS Manx shearwater 126,545 AOS Trends are described for 11 of the 24 European storm-petrel 31,570+ AOS species of seabirds breeding in Leach’s storm-petrel 48,057 AOS Scotland Northern gannet 182,511 AOS Great cormorant c. 3,600 AON Nine have shown sustained declines European shag 21,500-30,000 PAIRS over the past 20 years. Two have Arctic skua 2,100 AOT remained stable. Great skua 9,650 AOT The reasons for the declines are Black headed -
Aspects of Breeding Behavior of the Royal Tern (Sterna Maxima) with Particular Emphasis on Prey Size Selectivity
W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1984 Aspects of Breeding Behavior of the Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) with Particular Emphasis on Prey Size Selectivity William James Ihle College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Ihle, William James, "Aspects of Breeding Behavior of the Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) with Particular Emphasis on Prey Size Selectivity" (1984). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539625247. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-4aq2-2y93 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ASPECTS OF BREEDING BEHAVIOR OF THE ROYAL TERN (STERNA MAXIMA) n WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON PREY SIZE SELECTIVITY A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Biology The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by William J. Ihle 1984 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 1MI \MLu Author Approved, April 1984 Mitchell A. Byrd m Stewart A. Ware R/ft R. Michael Erwin DEDICATION To Mom, for without her love and encouragement this thesis would not have been completed. FRONTISPIECE. Begging royal tern chick and its parent in the creche are surrounded by conspecific food parasites immediate!y after a feeding. -
Sandwich Terns to Isla Rasa, Gulf of California, Mexico, with Our Observations of Single Individuals in 1986 and Again in 2008
NOTES SANDWICH TERNS ON ISLA RASA, GULF OF CALIFORNIA, MEXICO ENRIQUETA VELARDE, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Pesquerías, Universidad Veracruzana, Hidalgo 617, Col. Río Jamapa, Boca del Río, Veracruz, México, C.P. 94290; [email protected] MARISOL TORDESILLAS, Álvaro Obregón 549, Col. Poblado Alfredo V. Bonfi l, Cancún, Quintana Roo, México, C.P. 77560; [email protected] In North America the Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) breeds locally along marine coasts and offshore islands primarily of the southeastern United States and Caribbean (AOU 1998). In these areas it commonly nests in dense colonies of the Royal Tern (T. maximus) and Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla; Shealer 1999). It winters along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from Florida to the West Indies, more rarely as far south as southern Brazil and Uruguay. It also winters on the Pacifi c coast, mainly from Oaxaca, Mexico, south to Panama (Howell and Webb 1995), occasionally to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (AOU 1998). As there are no breeding colonies on the Pacifi c coast, all birds wintering there are believed to represent migrants from Atlantic and Caribbean colonies (Collins 1997, Hilty and Brown 1986, Ridgely 1981, Ridgely and Greenfi eld 2001). Sandwich Terns have occasionally wandered as far north as eastern Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland) and inland to Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois (AOU 1998, Clapp et al. 1983). In the Pacifi c vagrants are known from California and the Hawaiian Islands (Hamilton et al. 2007, AOU 1998). Here we report vagrancy of Sandwich Terns to Isla Rasa, Gulf of California, Mexico, with our observations of single individuals in 1986 and again in 2008. -
The Herring Gull Complex (Larus Argentatus - Fuscus - Cachinnans) As a Model Group for Recent Holarctic Vertebrate Radiations
The Herring Gull Complex (Larus argentatus - fuscus - cachinnans) as a Model Group for Recent Holarctic Vertebrate Radiations Dorit Liebers-Helbig, Viviane Sternkopf, Andreas J. Helbig{, and Peter de Knijff Abstract Under what circumstances speciation in sexually reproducing animals can occur without geographical disjunction is still controversial. According to the ring species model, a reproductive barrier may arise through “isolation-by-distance” when peripheral populations of a species meet after expanding around some uninhabitable barrier. The classical example for this kind of speciation is the herring gull (Larus argentatus) complex with a circumpolar distribution in the northern hemisphere. An analysis of mitochondrial DNA variation among 21 gull taxa indicated that members of this complex differentiated largely in allopatry following multiple vicariance and long-distance colonization events, not primarily through “isolation-by-distance”. In a recent approach, we applied nuclear intron sequences and AFLP markers to be compared with the mitochondrial phylogeography. These markers served to reconstruct the overall phylogeny of the genus Larus and to test for the apparent biphyletic origin of two species (argentatus, hyperboreus) as well as the unex- pected position of L. marinus within this complex. All three taxa are members of the herring gull radiation but experienced, to a different degree, extensive mitochon- drial introgression through hybridization. The discrepancies between the mitochon- drial gene tree and the taxon phylogeny based on nuclear markers are illustrated. 1 Introduction Ernst Mayr (1942), based on earlier ideas of Stegmann (1934) and Geyr (1938), proposed that reproductive isolation may evolve in a single species through D. Liebers-Helbig (*) and V. Sternkopf Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany e-mail: [email protected] P. -
Lady's Island Lake Tern Report 2011
Lady’s Island Lake Tern Report 2011. David Daly, C.J.Wilson & Tony Murray 1 The author and the area ranger, on behalf of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (Department of Arts, Heritage & and the Gaeltacht), wish to acknowledge the support of the landowners and rights holders of Our Ladys Island Lake with the management of the tern conservation project throughout the year. 2 Contents page Site synopsis…………………………………………………………….. 4 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………… 5 Site map…………………………………………………………………… 6 Lady’s Island Tern Report Summary…………………………………………………………………… 7 Methods Preparatory work…………………………………………………………… 8 Vegetation management Predator control…………………………………………………………… 9 Monitoring of disturbance…………………………………………………. 13 Feral Greylag Geese……………………………………………………….. 14 Location of island and colonies Censusing ………………………………………………………………. 15 Water levels……………………………………………………………. 19 Weather…………………………………………………………………. 21 Location of colonies…………………………………………………… 22 Productivity & feeding biology of Roseate & Sandwich terns ………… 23 Species accounts . Black-headed Gulls……………………………………………………… 24 Mediterranean Gulls…………………………………………………….. 27 Common Gulls………………………………………………………….. 30 Sandwich Terns………………………………………………………… 31 Common/Arctic terns…………………………………………………… 37 Little Terns………………………………………………………………. 42 Roseate Terns……………………………………………………………. 43 Other species……………………………………………………………… 51 3 SITE SYNOPSIS SITE NAME: LADY'S ISLAND Site codes SAC: 000704 SPA: 004010 Lady’s Island Lake is situated in the extreme south-east of Ireland and is comprised of a shallow, brackish coastal lagoon separated from the sea by a 200 meter wide sand and shingle barrier. The lake is 3.7 km in length and 1.3 km at its widest, southerly point. The lake and its two islands, Inish and Sgarbheen, are designated Special Protection Areas (SPA), holding internationally important numbers of breeding terns. This site is of high conservation importance, having three habitats which are listed on Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive and one of these (lagoons) with priority status. -
Laughing Gulls Breed Primarily Along the Pacific Coast of Mexico and the Atlantic and Caribbean Coasts from S
LAUGHING GULL Leucophaeus atricilla non-breeding visitor, regular winterer L.a. megalopterus Laughing Gulls breed primarily along the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts from s. Canada to Venezuela, and they winter S to Peru and the Amazon delta (AOU 1998, Howell and Dunn 2007). It and Franklin's Gull were placed along with other gulls in the genus Larus until split by the AOU (2008). Vagrant Laughing Gulls have been reported in Europe (Cramp and Simmons 1983) and widely in the Pacific, from Clipperton I to Wake Atoll (Rauzon et al. 2008), Johnston Atoll (records of at least 14 individuals, 1964-2003), Palmyra, Baker, Kiribati, Pheonix, Marshall, Pitcairn, Gambier, and Samoan Is, as well as Australia/New Zealand (King 1967; Clapp and Sibley 1967; Sibley and McFarlane 1968; Pratt et al. 1987, 2010; Garrett 1987; Wragg 1994; Higgins and Davies 1996; Vanderwerf et al. 2004; Hayes et al. 2015; E 50:13 [identified as Franklin's Gull], 58:50). Another interesting record is of one photographed attending an observer rowing solo between San Francisco and Australia at 6.5° N, 155° W, about 1400 km S of Hawai'i I, 1-2 Nov 2007. They have been recorded almost annually as winter visitors to the Hawaiian Islands since the mid-1970s, numbers increasing from the NW to the SE, as would be expected of this N American species. The great majority of records involve first-year birds, and, despite the many records in the S Pacific, there is no evidence for a transient population through the Hawaiian Islands, or of individuals returning for consecutive winters after departing in spring. -
First Confirmed Record of Belcher's Gull Larus Belcheri for Colombia with Notes on the Status of Other Gull Species
First confirmed record of Belcher's Gull Larus belcheri for Colombia with notes on the status of other gull species Primer registro confirmado de la Gaviota Peruana Larus belcheri para Colombia con notas sobre el estado de otras especies de gaviotas Trevor Ellery1 & José Ferney Salgado2 1 Independent. Email: [email protected] 2 Corporación para el Fomento del Aviturismo en Colombia. Abstract We present photographic records of a Belcher's Gull Larus belcheri from the Colombian Caribbean region. These are the first confirmed records of this species in the country. Keywords: new record, range extension, gull, identification. Resumen Presentamos registros fotograficos de un individuo de la Gaviota Peruana Larus belcheri en la region del Caribe de Colombia. Estos son los primeros registros confirmados para el país. Palabras clave: Nuevo registro, extensión de distribución, gaviota, identificación. Introduction the Pacific Ocean coasts of southern South America, and Belcher's Gull or Band-tailed Gull Larus belcheri has long Olrog's Gull L. atlanticus of southern Brazil, Uruguay and been considered a possible or probable species for Argentina (Howell & Dunn 2007, Remsen et al. 2018). Colombia, with observations nearby from Panama (Hilty & Brown 1986). It was first listed for Colombia by Salaman A good rule of thumb for gulls in Colombia is that if it's not et al. (2001) without any justification or notes, perhaps on a Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla, then it's interesting. the presumption that the species could never logically have A second good rule of thumb for Colombian gulls is that if reached the Panamanian observation locality from its it's not a Laughing Gull, you are probably watching it at Los southern breeding grounds without passing through the Camarones or Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Flamencos, country. -
Black-Headed Gull Chroicocephalus Ridibundus
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Folk Name: Common Black-headed Gull Status: Migrant Abundance: Accidental Habitat: Open water of lakes and rivers The Black-headed Gull is a Eurasian gull that occasionally shows up in the Carolinas between early August and the end of April. It was first confirmed in North Carolina at Fort Macon on August 10, 1967, and was first confirmed in South Carolina at Huntington Beach State Park on October 29, 1970. It used to be called the “Common Black-headed Gull.” It is almost always seen with Ring- billed Gulls, although one Carolina ornithologist noted “that association may relate more to the abundance of Ring-billed Gulls in winter than any biological affinity it was relocated, several groups of excited observers were between the two.” The Black-headed Gull is a rare but allowed access into the wastewater treatment plant to see regular visitor along the coast of the Carolinas. There this special bird. are only four records of this gull inland in the Carolina Remarkably, a second Black-headed Gull, an adult Piedmont. The first two records were of birds found at bird, was sighted in Mecklenburg County on Mountain Jordan Lake on January 16, 2005, and at Falls Lake on Island Lake on December 16, 2012. Dennis Kent, John December 9, 2010. The latest records are of two sightings Scavetto, and Bill Rowse were scouring the lake during here in the Central Carolinas. the Southern Lake Norman Christmas Bird Count when At times, the discovery of a rare bird is often an they found this bird. -
Flying Birds the Way They Often Look: in Silhouette
NOVEMBER PHOTO QUIZ ANSWERS Flying Birds the Way They Often Look: In Silhouette he field guides that I grew up with concen - Quiz Photo A trated on plumage colors and patterns, using This bird’s long and pointed wings, slender and Tstructural characters as “field marks” in only pointed bill, and obviously notched tail add up a limited way (e.g., “long legs,” “thin warbler bill,” pretty quickly to one likely group: the terns (sub - “huge size,” “forked tail”). Some guides, in fact, family Sterninae). No storm-petrel, swallow, or used the same bird shape template for all mem - pratincole would show the bill shape of this tern, bers of a group (as evidenced by Peterson’s earli - and even the most slender-billed of the gulls est wood-warblers), obscuring important species- wouldn’t match our bird. specific shapes and postures. As I matured as a Fortunately, most terns can also be ruled out by birder and learned—as we all do—that the com - the combination of features shown by this silhou - bination of vocalizations, actions, postures , and ette. And our task becomes far easier when we structure were sufficient to identify nearly all indi - consider where we are and what time of year it is. vidual birds, I often thought that a fun identifica - Barring a rarity—and meaning no disrespect to a tion challenge would arise if all birds were albinos beautiful and ornithologically fascinating state—it (pure white) or silhouetted (appear - turns out there aren’t a lot of tern possibilities in ing pure black). -
International Black-Legged Kittiwake Conservation Strategy and Action Plan Acknowledgements Table of Contents
ARCTIC COUNCIL Circumpolar Seabird Expert Group July 2020 International Black-legged Kittiwake Conservation Strategy and Action Plan Acknowledgements Table of Contents Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................4 CAFF Designated Agencies: Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................................................5 • Norwegian Environment Agency, Trondheim, Norway Chapter 2: Ecology of the kittiwake ....................................................................................................................6 • Environment Canada, Ottawa, Canada Species information ...............................................................................................................................................................................................6 • Faroese Museum of Natural History, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (Kingdom of Denmark) Habitat requirements ............................................................................................................................................................................................6 • Finnish Ministry of the Environment, Helsinki, Finland Life cycle and reproduction ................................................................................................................................................................................7 • Icelandic Institute of Natural -
Bonaparte's Gull Larus Philadelphia the Only Small Gull Regular in San
Gulls and Terns — Family Laridae 235 Bonaparte’s Gull Larus philadelphia The only small gull regular in San Diego County, Bonaparte’s Gull is most abundant on the ocean, where, in winter, it can often be seen in flocks of hundreds a short distance offshore. Along the coast, it is much less numerous, though still often com- mon in San Diego Bay or the north county lagoons. Inland, Bonaparte’s Gull is quite irregular, both from lake to lake and from year to year. Even along the coast Bonaparte’s Gull appears to be becoming patchier in its distribution, perhaps as a symptom of the faltering productivity of the ocean off southern California. Winter: Offshore, the flocks of Bonaparte’s Gulls undoubt- edly shift widely with the shifting of fish and plankton. Photo by Anthony Mercieca Onshore, however, the species has a few favored con- centration points, especially the sewage ponds near the 100 on 14 December 1997, B. Schram). At other lakes our Santa Margarita River along Stuart Mesa Road (G5; up counts were of 15 or fewer. Inland, however, the species’ to 70 on 6 December 1998, R. E. Fischer), Buena Vista occurrence is quite irregular, as exemplified by the his- Lagoon (H5; 150 on 7 February 1999, J. Determan), Los tory of Lake Henshaw Christmas bird counts: Bonaparte’s Peñasquitos Lagoon (N7; 100 on 3 January 1999, D. K. Gull has been recorded on 17 of 22 counts 1981–2002, Adams), and the San Diego River mouth (R7; 200 on 22 with a median of 25, a mean of 59, and a maximum of 418 February 2000, V. -
Identification of Second-Winter Thayer's Gull
The in-between age of the in-between Gull: Identification of second-winter Thayer’s Gull Chris Gibbins and Martin Garner Abstract One of the early detailed articles on the identification of Thayer’s Gull was titled ‘The in- between Gull’ (Garner and Mactavish, 2001). This and subsequent articles, however, dealt only with the identification of first-winter1 and adult Thayer’s; little has been published on the other, in-between, age groups. While photographs and published descriptions allow birders to gain a general sense of what Thayer’s Gulls look like in second-winter plumage, to our knowledge no specific criteria that help separate Thayer’s from similar taxa at this age have been proposed. This photo-essay focuses on the identification of second-winter birds and sets out a number of specific features that, subject to testing and refinement, may help form criteria for the identification of out-of-range Thayer’s Gulls. The absence of a mirror in the outer primary, the number of primaries with a venetian blind pattern and the balance of dark and pale in the outer primaries help separate second-winter Thayer’s from darker Kumlien’s Gulls. The exact tone and pattern of fringing on the primaries and the tone of brown in the tertials, tail and secondaries are also important for separating these taxa at this age. Some hybrid gulls (involving various combinations of Herring, American Herring, Glaucous and Glaucous-winged) can resemble Thayer’s, but structure, along with these plumage features, should help rule out most hybrids. While typical second-winter Thayer’s Gulls are eminently identifiable, the frequency of hybrids and birds with characteristics intermediate between Kumlien’s and Thayer’s help stress the need for caution.