Artificial Nesting Structures for Eurasian pelicans A decision-making and guidance document Giorgos Catsadorakis Lake Kerkini National Park, Greece. © Steve Mills / Birdwing Artificial Nesting Structures for Eurasian pelicans A decision-making and guideline document Giorgos Catsadorakis We are grateful to the following people who contributed greatly to the preparation of this guide by offering criticism, comments and suggestions, photographs, literature and all kinds of information and data: Olga Alexandrou (SPP, Greece), Taulant Bino (Albanian Ornithological Society), Sebastian Bugariu (SOR/ Romanian Ornithological Society), Alain J. Crivelli (Biological Station Tour du Valat, France), Nela Vešović Dubak (Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro), Orhan Gül, Tommy King (USDA/APHIS, USA), Hillary Koll and Steve Mills (Birdwing, UK/Greece), Tanyo Michev and Pavel Simeonov (LeBalkan, Bulgaria), Taej Mundkur (Wetlands International), Theodoros Naziridis (Lake Kerkini National Park, Greece), Andrej Vizi (Natural History Muse um of Montenegro), the Management Body of the Evros Delta National Park, Greece. Julia Henderson (SPP, Greece) edited the text and greatly improved the language of the document. Recommended citation: Catsadorakis, G. 2017. Artificial Nesting Structures for Eurasian pelicans. A decision-making and guideline document. Society for the Protection of Prespa, Greece. The MAVA Foundation supports the Society for the Protection of Prespa, including its projects for the conservation of pelicans ARTIFICIAL NESTING STRUCTURES FOR EURASIAN PELICANS. A decision-making and guidance document Background / general information Both the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) and or when it decreases and the islands become declining in quality and becoming gradually the great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) accessible to terrestrial predators. In addition, sub-optimal for the birds, or they completely are large, ground-nesting species breeding in nests and eggs, especially those which are low disintegrate and the birds have to shift to other, the Western and Central Palearctic (Montenegro, and closer to water, are frequently inundated by new sites (Catsadorakis & Crivelli, 2001). Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, wave action during high tides or during storms, In general, there are a number of requirements Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, India and or are flooded by rising water levels, which may that have to be fulfilled in order for pelicans Mongolia). From a conservation point of view, result in the destruction of nests, eggs and chicks to settle at a site to breed: a. abundance and the former is listed as “Vulnerable” in IUCN’s Global or cause nest abandonment thus decreasing availability of prey (fish) on-site or on other sites Red List, while the latter is listed as of “Least breeding success. close enough; b. availability of proper roosting/ Concern”. Their colonies are situated on islands Over time nesting islands get degraded through resting sites (safe islands, or coastal open areas and/or in the interface between marsh vegetation use by the birds, wave erosion, storms, heavy with a view around them); and c. safe nesting and open water in lakes, river deltas and marshes, snowfalls, etc. They normally shrink in size, islands, free of disturbance. Some wetlands may as well as in coastal or inland lagoons. They nest colonially on the ground of vegetated or non- vegetated islands, which are either earthen or consist of rhizomes of helophytes, mainly the common reed Phragmites australis. They do not have natural enemies and cases of predation pressure on eggs and chicks by avian predators vary but are usually low (Crivelli et al. 1994). Island nesting deters or prevents terrestrial predators from accessing colonies. However, pelican breeding colonies, being large and easily located, are subject to deliberate or unintentional disturbance by humans. Pelican colonies are additionally threatened by natural or anthropogenic changes to the water levels of the water bodies where they nest, either when the water level rises and floods nesting islands, Dalmatian pelicans nesting on a raised wooden platform, Lake Kerkini, Greece. © Theodoros Naziridis 3 ARTIFICIAL NESTING STRUCTURES FOR EURASIAN PELICANS. A decision-making and guidance document fulfil all or some of these requirements. Pelicans recent years, an increase in the total population site, has been the building of artificial nesting will not establish nesting colonies at wetlands of pelicans, mainly due to successful conservation structures (hereafter ANS). These have been where all the requirements are not met. measures in some key places (e.g. Prespa and successfully used since at least 1962 in the Volga Human interventions in the hydrological regimes Amvrakikos, Greece), has led many managers Delta, in what is now Russia (Bondarev 1976, of wetlands, in combination with the impacts of and conservationists to try to accommodate Vinogradov et al. 1982), later in other countries climate change, have resulted in the diminishment these increasing numbers of potential breeders such as Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, and more of the qualities and the value of natural wetlands on the one hand, and on the other hand to start recently in Romania, Montenegro and Albania. as pelican nesting grounds. Furthermore, due to thinking of attracting pelicans to begin nesting in Elevated nesting platforms have also been built alterations in the hydrological regime of natural wetlands where they occur but they do not nest, and used successfully for other species of pelican wetlands, pelicans are continuously forced to or to recolonise wetlands where they nested in such as in Uppalapadu, Andhra Pradesh, India, for search for new nesting sites at artificial wetlands, the past. the nesting of the endangered spot-billed pelican impoundments and reservoirs; however, these In the last few decades, the main management (Pelecanus philippensis) (http://wikivisually.com/ are managed to serve other purposes, which measure applied to maintain satisfactory nesting wiki/Uppalapadu_Bird_Sanctuary). However, this are not necessarily compatible with the optimal pelican populations and sufficient breeding species is a tree-nesting and not a ground-nesting nesting and feeding conditions for pelicans. In success, or to attract pelicans to recolonise a species. The main features of the ideal pelican nesting habitat • Large wetlands big enough and with sufficient resources (food and nesting substrate) to accommodate a colony of over 50 pairs of pelicans • Available nesting islands not significantly and/or frequently impacted by cold spells, adverse weather, storms, winds and waves • Nesting islands not threatened frequently by sudden and severe fluctuations of water levels; either by suddenly increasing or lowered water levels • Nesting sites free of frequent disturbance by humans, boats, wild animals, aircrafts, etc • Sufficient nest-building material easily available on nesting sites or close to them • Feeding waters with abundant and available prey on site or in adjacent sites at distances less than 50 km, for pelicans not having to spend a lot of energy to access them. • Aerial conditions (i.e. thermals, uplift winds, etc.) favourable to large soaring birds for low-cost movements • Calm and safe roosting and resting sites. Either isolated islands or large tracts of open spaces close to water where an unobstructed 360o view is possible and quick access to open water. 4 ARTIFICIAL NESTING STRUCTURES FOR EURASIAN PELICANS. A decision-making and guidance document Scope and goal of this document This document aims to provide an overview of the several scientific and practical issues associated with the building and use of ANS for pelicans. It also aims to provide guidance to managers and decision-makers about when, and under which conditions, they should decide to build such structures. It contains material that is intended to inform and to facilitate the process of decision-making and the solving of dilemmas after the decision is taken, and to help avoid mistakes and wrong decisions about deploying ANS to attract pelicans to breed. This is a document which mainly addresses the requirements of the Dalmatian pelican, but there are also references to great white pelicans and hopefully it may prove useful to other species of pelicans. Great white pelican (left) and Dalmatian pelican in full breeding plumage; Lake Kerkini National Park, Greece. © Kostas Papadopoulos 5 ARTIFICIAL NESTING STRUCTURES FOR EURASIAN PELICANS. A decision-making and guidance document Types of ANS referred to herein a. Islands of dredged material b. Floating rafts Earthen islands are often created with dredged Floating structures, in the form of a raft, usually material to provide nesting and refuge habitats consist of a frame made from wood or metal. for birds and other wildlife. They range in size On this frame bands of reeds, or a platform of from a few square metres to over 0.8 km2, and are wooden planks, may be fastened, or a welded typically constructed using pebbles, stones, sand, wire fence may even be stretched and attached gravel or soil. These islands may be consolidated tightly, in the gaps between the struts of the using various techniques and materials, or stabi- frame. The latter has frequently been covered Constructing four wooden floating rafts, Lake Skadar, Montenegro. lised with emergent marsh vegetation. They may by a durable synthetic mat, which was further © Andrej Vizi be constructed singly