A5031002435- Avian ecology and behavior
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Marine animal studies overview
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Wind Energy Research and Development
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Aerospace Engineering and Energy Systems
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Marine and fisheries research
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Plant and animal studies
- Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- African Studies and Geopolitics
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Migration and Labor Dynamics
British Trust for Ornithology
2014-2024
Research Institute for Nature and Forest
2020
University of Leeds
2010-2013
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
2013
Newcastle University
2006
Tracking devices are useful in studying the movement and behaviour of birds throughout year. However, effects device attachment must be monitored for bird welfare scientific veracity information gathered. We report on a trial three different harness types (leg-loop, body wing) attaching GPS to Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus leg-loop Great Skuas Stercorarius skua. This evaluated functionality whilst deployed, retention each birds. The prevented from charging, due feathers overlapping...
Gulls ingest plastic and other litter while foraging in open landfills, because organic matter is mixed with debris. Therefore, gulls are potential biovectors of pollution into natural habitats, especially when they concentrate wetlands for roosting. We quantified, the first time, flow anthropogenic debris from landfills to a lake via movement gulls. focused on Fuente de Piedra, an inland closed-basin Spain that internationally important biodiversity. In 2022, we sampled gull pellets...
Telemetry has become an important method for studying the biology and ecology of animals. However, impact tracking devices their attachment on different species across multiple temporal scales seldom been assessed. We compared behavioural demographic responses two seabird, Lesser Black‐backed Gull Larus fuscus Great Skua Stercorarius skua , to a GPS device attached using crossover wing harness. used telemetry information monitoring breeding colonies compare birds equipped with harness,...
As environmental conditions fluctuate across years, seasonal migrants must determine where and when to move without comprehensive knowledge of beyond their current location. Animals can address this challenge by following cues in local environment vary behaviour response conditions, or moving based on learned inherited experience past resulting fixed years. It is often claimed that long-distance are more migratory because as distance between breeding wintering areas increases, reliability...
Abstract Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) be minimised through effective landscape‐scale planning mitigation. identification high‐vulnerability areas is urgently needed assess potential cumulative EI while supporting the transition zero carbon energy. We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds 27 species susceptible within Europe North Africa identified where tracked are most...
Sexual differences in food provisioning rates of monomorphic seabirds are well known but poorly understood. Here, we address three hypotheses that attempt to explain female‐biased common guillemots Uria aalge : (1) males spend more time nest defence, (2) females have greater foraging efficiency, and (3) allocate a proportion effort self‐maintenance. We found spent no with chicks than made longer trips travelled further from the colony. There was extensive overlap between sexes core areas,...
Species of bird that use their wings for underwater propulsion are thought to face evolutionary trade-offs between flight and diving, leading the prediction species with different wing areas relative body mass (i.e. loadings) also differ in importance diving activity during foraging trips. We tested this hypothesis two similarly sized Alcidae (common guillemots razorbills) by using bird-borne devices examine three-dimensional behaviour at a single colony. Guillemots have 30% higher loading...
The reasons for variation in group size among animal species remain poorly understood. Using ‘Ashmole's halo’ hypothesis of food depletion around colonies, we predict that foraging range imposes a ceiling on the maximum colony seabird species. We tested this with phylogenetic comparative study 43 seabirds (28 262 colonies), and investigated interspecific correlation between ranges. Foraging showed weak relationships low percentiles species, but strength association increased larger...
Birds are vectors of dispersal propagules plants and other organisms including pathogens, as well nutrients contaminants. Thus, through their movements they create functional connectivity between habitat patches. Most studies on provided by animals to date have focused within similar types. However, some waterbirds regularly switch terrestrial, coastal freshwater habitats throughout daily routines. Lesser black-backed gulls that overwinter in Andalusia use different types for roosting...
There has been considerable recent concern about the plight of seabirds globally, as many species have declined substantially. In UK there are statutory needs to monitor at sea, particularly in light new offshore areas being designated for conservation and plans major wind farm developments. However, extent which at‐sea surveys capable detecting changes abundance options improving survey protocols received little attention. We investigate power numbers using surveys. Using data collected...
Summary Wind energy generation is increasing globally, and associated environmental impacts must be considered. The risk of seabirds colliding with offshore wind turbines influenced by flight height, height data usually come from observers on boats, making estimates in daylight fine weather. GPS tracking provides an alternative generates information a range conditions, but the raw have error. Here, we present novel analytical solution for accommodating We use Bayesian state‐space models to...
Abstract Non‐frugivorous waterbirds disperse a wide variety of plants by endozoochory, providing longer‐dispersal distances than other mechanisms. Many visit both agricultural and natural landscapes during their daily movements, but potential bird‐mediated dispersal weed within from to habitats is commonly overlooked. Gulls (Laridae) are expanding in numbers increasingly exploiting anthropogenic worldwide, with possible growing implications for the spread weeds. Yet, date, there no studies...
Anthropogenic change is impacting ecosystems globally, causing declines in biodiversity. Long-distance migrants are particularly susceptible, as they depend on conditions over large geographical scales and likely to experience a greater range of pressures. One long-distance migrant that has experienced substantial across the North-East Atlantic Arctic skua Stercorarius parasiticus . However, little known about their migratory routes or strategies. We tracked 131 skuas from Scotland, Faroe...
Abstract Wind energy generation has become an important means to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate against human‐induced climate change, but could also represent a significant human–wildlife conflict. Airborne taxa such as birds may be particularly sensitive collision mortality with wind turbines, yet the relative vulnerability of species’ populations across their annual life cycles not been evaluated. Using GPS telemetry, we studied movements lesser black‐backed gulls Larus...
Landfills are a major subsidy for some animals, with implications their life history and demography. Gulls feed extensively on food from landfills closures expected to have ecological consequences, but how this influences movement ecology is virtually unknown.We used GPS-tracking quantify foraging behaviour habitat choice of lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) breeding at two colonies before after closure nearby landfills.Following closure, both travelled further longer forage. also...
There is an urgent need to quantify the potential for conservation interventions effectively manage impacts of climate change on species' populations and ecological communities. In this first quantitative global assessment biodiversity adaptation, we identified 77 peer-reviewed studies, including 443 cases describing response individual or assemblages particular interventions, whilst also accounting responses climatic variables. Eighty-two percent studies were from Europe North America. 30%...
Abstract The expanding use of wind farms as a source renewable energy can impact bird populations due to collisions and other factors. Globally, seabirds are one the avian taxonomic groups most threatened by anthropogenic disturbance; adequately assessing potential offshore (OWFs) is important for developing strategies avoid or minimize harm their populations. We estimated avoidance rates OWFs—the degree which birds show reduced utilization OWF areas—by Sandwich Terns (Thalasseus...
Capsule: Strong individual variation was observed in the responses of Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla to environmental covariates related foraging behaviour and habitat selection, overlap with nearby offshore windfarms (OWFs).
Summary Many emerging methods for ecological monitoring use passive techniques, which cannot always be used to identify the observed species with certainty. Digital aerial surveys of birds in marine areas are one such example observation and they increasingly being quantify abundance distribution inform impact assessments proposed offshore wind developments. However, uncertainty identification presents a major hurdle determining individual species. Using novel analytical approach, we...
Abstract Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is a global problem with major ecological and economic impacts. In many lakes reservoirs, guanotrophication occurs when roosting waterbirds import nutrients (nitrogen phosphorus) from surrounding terrestrial habitats. To date, nutrient loading by has been estimated based on censuses in the absence detailed information their movements. We quantified importation lesser black‐backed gull ( Larus fuscus ) to Fuente de Piedra (1,350 ha) Andalusia...