A recently established Kelp Gull colony in a freshwater environment supported by an inland refuse dump in Patagonia

Frixione, Martín G.; Casaux, Ricardo; Villanueva, Cecilia; Alarcón, Pablo Angel Eduardo

doi:10.1071/mu11031

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In recent years different waste management policies have reduced the availability of organic waste in the Bariloche rubbish dump, and bird species stopped using it as a food source. However, in the Villa La Angostura rubbish dump, organic waste has increased and there is an important associated population of birds, mainly gulls and birds of prey (Frixione et al., ; Plaza & Lambertucci, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another important pathogen that birds can acquire from rubbish dumps is Chlamydia psittaci, exacerbated by the large aggregations of different bird species at these sites (Frixione, Casaux, Villanueva, & Alarcón, 2012;Turrin, Watts, & Mojica, 2015). This pathogen, which has been detected in more than 450 bird species around the world (Beeckman & Vanrompay, 2009;Benskin et al, 2009;Kaleta & Taday, 2003) produces a disease characterized by respiratory and digestive signs that can lead to death (Lightfoot & Harrison, 2005;Ritchie et al, 1997).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Scavenger birds exploiting rubbish dumps: Pathogens at the gates

Plaza

Blanco

Madariaga

et al. 2018

Transbound Emerg Dis

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Different bacteria are present in rubbish dumps used as food resources by various bird species. Birds may be good indicators of the presence of zoonotic diseases in these sites since they can be infected with zoonotic pathogens by foraging on organic waste, and can also act as carriers. We studied if foraging in rubbish dumps increases the occurrence of Salmonella spp. and Chlamydia psittaci in American black vultures (Coragyps atratus, hereafter black vultures) from northwest Patagonia. We compared these pathogens isolated from or detected in cloacae and oropharynx swabs in two different groups of black vultures: individuals trapped in (a) the Patagonian wild steppe and (b) in a rubbish dump. We found that black vultures are colonized by Salmonella spp. (particularly Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhi, Paratyphi A, Salmonella enterica subsp. arizonae) and Chlamydia psittaci. Interestingly, there were differences in the prevalence of Salmonella spp., especially Salmonella Typhi, between individuals foraging in the rubbish dump and the steppe, but not in the prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci. The pathogens isolated from black vultures may impact their health status but could also have health impacts in other bird species and even humans. In fact, Salmonella Typhi can cause severe disease in humans leading to death. Our results are globally relevant given that bacterial infections from rubbish dumps may affect different species exploiting these sites around the world. There is a need to better control pathogens in rubbish dumps to avoid the risk of infecting wildlife, which could act as potential dispersers and reservoirs of these pathogens.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Scavenger birds exploiting rubbish dumps: Pathogens at the gates

Plaza

Blanco

Madariaga

et al. 2018

Transbound Emerg Dis

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“…In the case of Bariloche’s rubbish dump, availability of organic waste has been greatly reduced in the last years, and bird species have stopped using it as a food source. However, in the rubbish dump of Villa La Angostura, organic waste has increased in recent years and there is an important population of birds associated to that place, mainly gulls and birds of prey ( Frixione et al, 2012 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More massive but potentially less healthy: black vultures feeding in rubbish dumps differed in clinical and biochemical parameters with wild feeding birds

Plaza¹,

Lambertucci²

2018

PeerJ

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BackgroundOrganic waste is one of the most important anthropogenic food subsidies used by different species. However, there is little information about the health impact that rubbish dumps produce on species foraging in these sites.MethodsWe studied the effect that rubbish dumps produce on the health of a scavenging bird from the Americas, the black vulture (Coragyps atratus). We sampled and studied clinical and biochemical parameters in 94 adult black vultures from two different sites in North Western Patagonia, a rubbish dump and the wild steppe.ResultsWe found differences in clinical and biochemical parameters between sites. Body mass was greater in individuals from the dump, whereas in the steppe there were more individuals clinically dehydrated. Biochemical parameters such as uric acid, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, glycaemia, globulins and haematocrit had higher values in individuals using the dump than in individuals from the steppe. Other biochemical parameters such as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine phosphokinase and urea were higher in individuals from the steppe than in individuals from the dump.DiscussionForaging in organic waste could be considered beneficial for black vultures because they increase body mass and parameters associated to nutritional status like calcium and haematocrit. However, foraging in dumps can also affect their health status due to nutritional problems, potential kidney damage or infections that are signalled by the higher values of glycaemia, uric acid and globulins found in individuals from the dump. Our results highlight the contrasting effects that rubbish dumps may produce on wildlife health. They are relevant to different species using these sites, and are also an additional instrument for managing waste.

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“…Conversely, Kelp Gulls Larus dominicanus are better adapted to people and to urbanisation (Washburn et al 2013). Anthropogenic food sources, such as waste management facilities, discards from fish and cities waste (Washburn et al 2013), have aided the range expansion and population increase of this species worldwide (Frixione et al 2012), including the southern African race L. d. vetula (Crawford et al 2009). …”

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confidence: 98%

Differential reactions to anthropogenic disturbance by two ground-nesting shorebirds

Voorde

Witteveen

Brown

2015

Ostrich

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Many ground-nesting shorebirds experience a high level of anthropogenic disturbance, often to the detriment of their breeding success. This study investigated the responses of the Near-Threatened African Black Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini (ABO) and the Least Concern Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus vetula (KG) to anthropogenic disturbance during the pre-breeding and breeding season at three locations differing in levels of anthropogenic disturbance and colony size. Birds were directly approached from over 100 m away and markers were dropped at each behavioural reaction to the approach. Measuring back allowed a quantitative measure of the effects of disturbance. Stand response distances in breeding ABO were location sensitive, which related to disturbance level, showing that they stood up earlier in a highly disturbed location. Neither ambient conditions (wind speed and ambient temperature) nor nesting condition (egg age and clutch size) played a significant role in responses. Interestingly, breeding KG behaviour was affected by location, to a lesser extent by clutch size, but not by ambient conditions. Both ABO and KG significantly altered their behavioural responses to disturbance from pre-breeding to breeding. These results emphasise the need to have a buffer zone surrounding breeding areas excluding human presence to allow for the successful breeding of ABO.

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A recently established Kelp Gull colony in a freshwater environment supported by an inland refuse dump in Patagonia

Cited by 29 publications

References 26 publications

Scavenger birds exploiting rubbish dumps: Pathogens at the gates

Scavenger birds exploiting rubbish dumps: Pathogens at the gates

More massive but potentially less healthy: black vultures feeding in rubbish dumps differed in clinical and biochemical parameters with wild feeding birds

Differential reactions to anthropogenic disturbance by two ground-nesting shorebirds

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