Article
Biology
J. Darby, M. Clairbaux, A. Bennison, J. L. Quinn, M. J. Jessopp
Summary: Understanding the sensory ecology of species is crucial for predicting their function in a changing environment. Visual cues play a vital role in prey detection and capture for many predators. However, climate-induced turbidity in marine areas can potentially affect the ability of marine predators to detect prey. This study examines the relationship between a pelagic seabird species's foraging behavior and oceanic turbidity, finding that underwater visibility strongly influences foraging dives and prey detection, suggesting climate change could negatively impact seabird populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Stefan Garthe, Philipp Schwemmer, Ulrike Kubetzki, Bernd Heinze
Summary: Omnivorous and opportunistic species, such as common gulls, can serve as good indicators of food availability and respond to changes in their feeding ecology. This study investigated the foraging behavior of individual common gulls at their largest breeding colony in the southwestern Baltic Sea. The results showed a stable, multiyear pattern in their foraging behavior, with a preference for fields with little or no crop cover. These findings suggest that local food availability may be limiting further population increases in this species.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Teresa Militao, Nathalie Kurten, Sandra Bouwhuis
Summary: Sex-specific foraging behavior was observed in common terns, with females resting less and foraging closer to the colony in more coastal waters compared to males. Males showed higher variability in their foraging distribution throughout the tide cycle and foraged more outside of protected areas. This study highlights the importance of considering sex-specific foraging distributions when assessing the impact of at-sea threats on seabirds.
Article
Ecology
Allison Patterson, H. Grant Gilchrist, Gregory J. Robertson, April Hedd, David A. Fifield, Kyle H. Elliott
Summary: This study examines how habitat, weather, and moon illumination influence the behavior and energetics of thick-billed murres, a marine bird species in the Polar Regions. The results show that the murres employ different energy strategies in different marine habitats to overcome the winter energy bottlenecks.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Davide Scridel, Lorenzo Serra, Simone Pirrello, Marco Basso, Alessandro Franzoi, Alberto Cardillo, Chiara Mengoni, Fausto Ramazzotti, Emiliano Verza, Simona Imperio, Jacopo G. Cecere
Summary: In contrast to sexually dimorphic species, monomorphic species rarely exhibit sexual differences in foraging behavior attributed primarily to body size differences. This study analyzed the foraging behavior of breeding gull-billed terns, a monomorphic seabird, and found that both sex and breeding stage influenced foraging trip distance, duration, and frequency. Females showed closer, more frequent, and shorter duration trips during chick rearing, while both sexes exhibited increased individual foraging site fidelity between incubation and chick rearing. Females utilized aquatic habitats more than males, especially during chick rearing, suggesting a wider range of prey types for the offspring. This research provides additional evidence of sex differences in foraging behavior in monomorphic species and highlights the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms and consequences for fitness.
Article
Ecology
Grace J. Di Cecco, Sara J. Snell Taylor, Ethan P. White, Allen H. Hurlbert
Summary: In two datasets of avian communities in North America, we assessed support for two hypotheses explaining productivity-richness relationships. The results suggest that landscape diversity may affect the strength of productivity-richness relationships. Although the More Individuals Hypothesis (MIH) and the Niche Specialization Hypothesis (NSH) may not be mutually exclusive, the level of support for each hypothesis differs.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Claire Mason, Alistair J. Hobday, Mary-Anne Lea, Rachael Alderman
Summary: This study analyzed the foraging behavior of shy albatross from Albatross Island. The results showed a consistent foraging area for the population, with individuals utilizing both the shelf break and the Bass Strait. There was also evidence of individual consistency to geographic locations. Age and sex did not explain the between-individual variation in foraging behavior.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sophie Bennett, Mike P. Harris, Sarah Wanless, Jonathan A. Green, Mark A. Newell, Kate R. Searle, Francis Daunt
Summary: Competition for high-quality breeding sites is intense in colonial species. This study found that occupancy of breeding sites during the non-breeding season is related to site quality, breeding timing, and breeding success. Sites with longer and more frequent occupancy tend to have earlier breeding timing and higher breeding success rates.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Pawel Ciesluk, Maciej Cmoch, Zbigniew Kasprzykowski
Summary: Birds wintering in the northern Palearctic adjust their foraging behavior in response to energy losses and food deficit by considering weather conditions and interspecific competition. A study on two sympatrically wintering raptor species, the Common Buzzard and the Rough-legged Buzzard, showed interspecific differences in the use of hunting sites, with the latter avoiding fence posts and spending more time on the ground. The study also revealed that thicker snow cover resulted in fewer attempted attacks on prey and less frequent changes in hunting sites for Common Buzzards.
Article
Management
Bettina Peters, Mark J. Roberts, Van Anh Vuong
Summary: There are differences in the returns to R&D investment between German manufacturing firms selling in international markets and firms selling only in the domestic market. Exporting firms invest more frequently in R&D and these investments have higher economic returns in export market sales. Export market sales significantly contribute to the firm's return on R&D investment, raising future firm value.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Keyvan Dumas, Olivier Gilg, Nicolas Courbin, Alejandro Corregidor-Castro, Guillaume Evanno, Hallvard Strom, Anders Mosbech, Morten Frederiksen, Glenn Yannic
Summary: The Arctic region is currently experiencing significant changes in sea ice extent and seasonal dynamics, which could have major impacts on Arctic biota. The ivory gull, an Arctic seabird species, is declining in population and serves as a good indicator of current changes in the high Arctic due to its reliance on sea ice. This study explored the foraging behavior of ivory gulls during the breeding season, finding that human settlements attracted foraging birds and that ivory gulls selected highly concentrated sea ice for foraging. Overall, this research provides important insights into the space use and foraging strategies of ivory gulls and how Arctic seabirds utilize ice features.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sourour Abidi, Salah Benyoussef, Hichem Ben Salem
Summary: This study found that grazing vetch alone or combined with wheat stubble under the context of conservation agriculture (CA) substantially improved the growth performance and carcass yield of lambs compared to grazing wheat stubble alone. This grazing method also provided a solution for sheep to mulch and uptake biomass effectively.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANIMAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kyle J. N. A. d'Entremont, Isabeau Pratte, Carina Gjerdrum, Sarah N. P. Wong, William Montevecchi
Summary: This study quantified the suitable foraging habitat for northern gannets by assessing their foraging behavior and space-use. The results showed that there were differences in behavior and space-use between gannets foraging on different prey types. Suitable habitat for capelin was characterized by coastal, shallow waters with flat relief and sea surface temperatures (SST) of 11-15 degrees C. Suitable habitat for early and late chick-rearing dives was characterized by shallow coastal waters and waters deeper than 200 m, with SST of 12-15 degrees C and greater than 16 degrees C, respectively. The study also found that space-use by gannets varied depending on environmental conditions and prey type, which has implications for potential interactions with anthropogenic activities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
G. J. Divoky, E. Brown, K. H. Elliott
Summary: The study found that with the decreasing Arctic sea ice and increasing sea surface temperature, Mandt's Black Guillemots and polar cod are experiencing significant impacts on their ecosystem, leading to changes in feeding behavior and habitat shift.
Article
Business
Shangfeng Zhang, Yaoxin Liu, Duen-Huang Huang
Summary: This study examines the fixed output-elasticity assumption of the neoclassical economic growth model and introduces the time-varying elasticity production function model to measure China's time-varying factor income share. The driving forces of economic growth are decomposed, and a total factor productivity (TFP) decomposition formula is given, highlighting China's unique factor structure change. The study suggests that the Cobb-Douglas production function cannot reflect structural changes in China's economic growth process, but the time-varying elasticity production function can provide a new perspective for understanding developing countries' economic growth.
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amanda Kuepfer, Richard B. Sherley, Paul Brickle, Alexander Arkhipkin, Stephen C. Votier
Summary: Incidental mortality in trawl fisheries poses a serious threat to seabird sustainability. Strategic batch discarding is an effective mitigation measure to limit discard discharge, but supporting studies are rare. This study validates the efficacy of batch discarding as a mitigation measure in the Falkland Islands trawl fleet and highlights the importance of complete waste storage.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Esther F. Kettel, Chris Thaxter, Steffen Oppel, Andrew Carryer, Liam Innis, James W. Pearce-Higgins
Summary: The article discusses the negative impact of powerlines on bird populations and the issue of data sharing. The survey shows that most TSOs recognize the importance of using data to reduce bird casualties, but there are barriers to data sharing, such as the lack of a central database and concerns about data confidentiality.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
K. M. Bowgen, E. F. Kettel, S. H. M. Butchart, J. A. Carr, W. B. Foden, G. Magin, M. D. Morecroft, R. K. Smith, B. A. Stein, W. J. Sutherland, C. B. Thaxter, J. W. Pearce-Higgins
Summary: This study conducted a quantitative global assessment of biodiversity conservation interventions for climate change adaptation. The findings suggest that targeted interventions for specific species are more likely to have positive impacts, while generic interventions such as land and water management or protection have lower probabilities of being beneficial. The study also highlights the need for effective monitoring and evaluation of adaptation interventions to improve decision-making in the future.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jethro G. Gauld, Joao P. Silva, Philip W. Atkinson, Paul Record, Marta Acacio, Volen Arkumarev, Julio Blas, Willem Bouten, Niall Burton, Ines Catry, Jocelyn Champagnon, Gary D. Clewley, Mindaugas Dagys, Olivier Duriez, Klaus-Michael Exo, Wolfgang Fiedler, Andrea Flack, Guilad Friedemann, Johannes Fritz, Clara Garcia-Ripolles, Stefan Garthe, Dimitri Giunchi, Atanas Grozdanov, Roi Harel, Elizabeth M. Humphreys, Rene Janssen, Andrea Koelzsch, Olga Kulikova, Thomas K. Lameris, Pascual Lopez-Lopez, Elizabeth A. Masden, Flavio Monti, Ran Nathan, Stoyan Nikolov, Steffen Oppel, Hristo Peshev, Louis Phipps, Ivan Pokrovsky, Viola H. Ross-Smith, Victoria Saravia, Emily S. Scragg, Andrea Sforzi, Emilian Stoynov, Chris Thaxter, Wouter Van Steelant, Marielle Toor, Bernd Vorneweg, Jonas Waldenstroem, Martin Wikelski, Ramunas Zydelis, Aldina M. A. Franco
Summary: This study assesses and analyzes the collision risks of wind turbines and power lines to birds in Europe and North Africa based on GPS location data of tracked birds. The results show that some bird species consistently fly at heights where they are at risk of collision. In the study region, 13.6% of the area is classified as highly sensitive to wind turbines and 9.4% is classified as highly sensitive to power lines, with hotspots of collision vulnerability scattered across the region, particularly in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar, and the Bosporus in Turkey.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Daniel T. Johnston, Chris B. Thaxter, Philipp H. Boersch-Supan, Elizabeth M. Humphreys, Willem Bouten, Gary D. Clewley, Emily S. Scragg, Elizabeth A. Masden, Lee Barber, Greg J. Conway, Nigel A. Clark, Niall H. K. Burton, Aonghais S. C. P. Cook
Summary: Movement of seabirds in offshore wind farms may increase collision risk. Studying the movements of GPS-tagged lesser black-backed gulls, we found that the birds were attracted to wind farms within a certain distance but showed avoidance behavior as the distance increased. Additionally, there were differences in attraction and avoidance based on flight height relative to the nearest turbine.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Liam P. Langley, Stuart Bearhop, Niall H. K. Burton, Alex N. Banks, Tim Frayling, Chris B. Thaxter, Gary D. Clewley, Emily Scragg, Stephen C. Votier
Summary: Despite the negative impact of urbanization on biodiversity, urban areas provide unique opportunities for certain species. This study compares the movement behavior and habitat selection of Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding in an urban colony and a coastal colony in north-west England. The results show that urban breeders prefer to forage in urban areas, while coastal breeders primarily forage in coastal habitats and avoid urban areas. Additionally, individual variations in habitat use were observed, which may have implications for management strategies. These findings highlight the link between nesting and foraging ecology and demonstrate that changes in food availability will affect gulls in coastal and urban areas differently.
Article
Ornithology
Gary D. Clewley, Chris B. Thaxter, Emily S. Scragg, Elizabeth A. Masden, Lee J. Barber, Greg J. Conway, Nigel A. Clark, Niall H. K. Burton
Summary: The study found that individually tracked Lesser Black-backed Gulls rarely visited offshore areas but exhibited high variation in overall area use across multiple time scales. The aim was to quantify the variation in space use by the gulls and assess the time spent offshore and interacting with offshore wind farms before and after their construction.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amanda Kuepfer, Paulo Catry, Stuart Bearhop, Richard B. Sherley, Olivia Bell, Jason Newton, Paul Brickle, Alexander Arkhipkin, Stephen C. Votier
Summary: Effective marine ecosystem monitoring is critical for sustainable management. Monitoring seabird diets can provide important information on ecosystem health and seabird-fishery interactions. This study combines stomach content analysis (SCA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA) to examine the diet of black-browed albatross chicks, with a focus on fishery discard consumption.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Samuel Langlois Lopez, Francis Daunt, Jared Wilson, Nina J. O. 'Hanlon, Kate R. Searle, Sophie Bennett, Mark A. Newell, Michael P. Harris, Elizabeth Masden
Summary: The management of predator-prey conflicts is crucial for species conservation. On the Isle of May, an increase in Great Black-backed Gulls has led to predation of Atlantic Puffins, which has implications for species management and impact assessments. Using population viability analysis, we found that a higher predation level would be required to cause a decline in the Puffin population.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kelly Atkins, Stuart Bearhop, Thomas W. W. Bodey, W. James Grecian, Keith Hamer, Jorge M. M. Pereira, Hannah Meinertzhagen, Chris Mitchell, Greg Morgan, Lisa Morgan, Jason Newton, Richard B. B. Sherley, Stephen C. C. Votier
Summary: Combining precision satellite-tracking with blood sampling, this study explores the potential of using seabird geolocators and feather sampling to validate large-scale isotopic patterns. By matching winter-grown feathers with the non-breeding location of tracked birds, the study reveals latitudinal gradients in carbon and nitrogen isotopes in neritic waters. Furthermore, the isotopic patterns are best explained by sea surface temperature, and similar gradients are found in fish muscle samples collected from local ports.
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Jude V. Lane, Jana W. E. Jeglinski, Stephanie Avery-Gomm, Elmar Ballstaedt, Ashley C. Banyard, Tatsiana Barychka, Ian H. Brown, Brigitte Brugger, Tori V. Burt, Noah Careen, Johan H. F. Castenschiold, Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard, Shannon Clifford, Sydney M. Collins, Emma Cunningham, Johannis Danielsen, Francis Daunt, Kyle J. N. D'Entremont, Parker Doiron, Steven Duffy, Matthew D. English, Marco Falchieri, Jolene Giacinti, Britt Gjerset, Silje Granstad, David Gremillet, Magella Guillemette, Gunnar T. Hallgrimsson, Keith C. Hamer, Sjurdur Hammer, Katherine Harrison, Justin D. Hart, Ciaran Hatsell, Richard Humpidge, Joe James, Audrey Jenkinson, Mark Jessopp, Megan E. B. Jones, Stephane Lair, Thomas Lewis, Alexandra A. Malinowska, Aly McCluskie, Gretchen McPhail, Borge Moe, William A. Montevecchi, Greg Morgan, Caroline Nichol, Craig Nisbet, Bergur Olsen, Jennifer Provencher, Pascal Provost, Alex Purdie, Jean-Francois Rail, Greg Robertson, Yannick Seyer, Maggie Sheddan, Catherine Soos, Nia Stephens, Hallvard Strom, Vilhjalmur Svansson, T. David Tierney, Glen Tyler, Tom Wade, Sarah Wanless, Christopher R. E. Ward, Sabina I. Wilhelm, Saskia Wischnewski, Lucy J. Wright, Bernie Zonfrillo, Jason Matthiopoulos, Stephen C. Votier
Summary: During 2021 and 2022, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) caused significant deaths among wild birds, including Northern Gannets. This study analyzed HPAI outbreaks in North Atlantic Gannet colonies and found that the outbreaks had a profound impact on population size, breeding success, and adult survival. Serological investigation also revealed that some Gannets were able to recover from HPAI infection. It is important to understand the effects of HPAI infection in order to develop effective conservation strategies for threatened seabird populations.
Article
Ornithology
Ian R. Cleasby, Ellie Owen, Adam Butler, Julia Baer, Jez Blackburn, Maria I. Bogdanova, Tessa Coledale, Francis Daunt, Stephen Dodd, Julian C. Evans, Jonathan A. Green, Tim Guilford, Michael P. Harris, Robert Hughes, Mark A. Newell, Stephen F. Newton, Gail S. Robertson, Lise Ruffino, Akiko Shoji, Louise M. Soanes, Stephen C. Votier, Ewan D. Wakefield, Sarah Wanless, Linda J. Wilson, Mark Bolton
Summary: Knowledge of seabird distributions is crucial for seabird conservation and marine management. However, most seabird colonies have not been tracked, so alternative methods must be used to assess their foraging distribution. By analyzing multiple tracking datasets, we found significant variations in foraging range among different colonies and individuals. Our estimates of typical foraging ranges for each species were also subject to high uncertainties.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
S. D. Good, M. Gummery, S. McLennan, K. Dewar, S. C. Votier, R. A. Phillips
Summary: Many seabird populations are declining due to fisheries bycatch, and the use of risk criteria to identify and address this issue is often lacking. Various methods have been used to assess the impact of fisheries on seabird populations, and the study compared the performance of different tools in assessing the risk. The findings suggest that the previous approach used by the Marine Stewardship Council was less effective than other approaches, and recommendations are made to improve species-specific risk assessments and management of seabird bycatch.
ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH
(2023)
