Aversive conditioning of Steller's Jays to improve marbled murrelet nest survival

Gabriel, Pia O.; Golightly, Richard T.

doi:10.1002/jwmg.725

Cited by 16 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In both experiments, we used carbachol (carbamylcholine chloride; >99.0% pure, Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) to develop an aversion to eggs in corvids. Carbachol is a water‐soluble chemical that works as an emetic, causing predators to become ill within minutes of consumption (Bogliani and Bellinato , Gabriel and Golightly ). It is also tasteless, colorless, and odorless, which reportedly makes it undetectable by predators and, therefore, a preferred aversive agent (Conover , Nicolaus et al , Dimmick and Nicolaus , Gabriel and Golightly ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carbachol is a water‐soluble chemical that works as an emetic, causing predators to become ill within minutes of consumption (Bogliani and Bellinato , Gabriel and Golightly ). It is also tasteless, colorless, and odorless, which reportedly makes it undetectable by predators and, therefore, a preferred aversive agent (Conover , Nicolaus et al , Dimmick and Nicolaus , Gabriel and Golightly ). We collected data using protocols approved by Humboldt State University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (12/13.W.37‐A; Brinkman ), and under a Migratory Bird Treaty Act depredation permit issued to Camp Pendleton (MB64809A‐0).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carbachol doses of 24–60 mg (57–209 mg/kg of body mass) have been found to induce aversive behavior in captive Steller's jays ( Cyanocitta stelleri ), hooded crows ( Corvus cornix ), and American crows (Nicolaus et al , Bogliani and Bellinato , Gabriel and Golightly ). Doses used for hooded crows were greater because they do not consume the entire egg's contents (Bogliani and Bellinato ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the late 1960s, CTA has been tested as a potential method for reducing nest predation by avian egg predators (Nicolaus et al , Conover , Nicolaus ). Several chemicals including landrin (Nicolaus et al , Nicolaus , Dimmick and Nicolaus ), methiocarb (Avery et al ), and carbachol (Bogliani and Bellinato , Gabriel and Golightly ) have been successfully used to develop CTA in avian predators such as common raven ( Corvus corax ) and American crow ( C. brachyrhynchos ), with carbachol being used more in recent studies. Corvids are known to be important nest predators of both terns and plovers (USFWS , Marschalek , Burrell and Colwell ), and corvid populations are increasing in the western United States in response to anthropogenic influences on the environment (e.g., supplemental food sources; Marzluff et al , 2001; Webb et al ).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Corvids are known to be important nest predators of both terns and plovers (USFWS , Marschalek , Burrell and Colwell ), and corvid populations are increasing in the western United States in response to anthropogenic influences on the environment (e.g., supplemental food sources; Marzluff et al , 2001; Webb et al ). Many studies have found CTA to be effective for inducing avoidance in corvids, which are intelligent and likely to associate the induced illness with consumption of eggs (Nicolaus et al , Nicolaus , Dimmick and Nicolaus , Avery et al , Gabriel and Golightly ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Evaluating the efficacy of carbachol at reducing corvid predation on artificial nests

Brinkman¹,

Garcelon²,

Colwell

2018

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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Nest predation often limits recovery of threatened and endangered birds, especially groundnesting species. Accordingly, a variety of techniques are used to reduce the impact of nest predation on listed species. We examined the efficacy of conditioned taste aversion, a nonlethal technique designed to induce avoidance behavior in predators after being exposed to prey items that have been treated, usually with a chemical emetic that causes predators to become ill within minutes of consumption. We used carbachol (carbamyl choline chloride) as a taste-aversive agent to condition corvids responsible for high levels of nest predation on 2 federally listed species-the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) and California least tern (Sternula antillarum browni)-breeding at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, USA. We conducted 2 separate experiments in 2013 and 2014, during which we deployed 772 artificial nests during the first experiment and 760 artificial nests during the second experiment. Each artificial nest contained 3 quail (Coturnix spp.) eggs. During the first stage of both experiments all of the nests only contained untreated quail eggs, and nest predation was high with >90% of nests failing within 1-2 days of deployment. In subsequent stages, we deployed carbachol-treated eggs in increasing proportion. We used nest survival models to evaluate daily survival rates (DSR) of artificial nests in all stages of both experiments. During both experiments, DSR increased concomitant with a greater proportion of carbachol-treated eggs. Common ravens (Corvus corax) accounted for 98.1% (n ¼ 471) of all artificial nest predations in Experiment 1, and 95.6% (n ¼ 498) of all artificial nest predations in Experiment 2. Using carbachol as a taste-aversive agent was effective at reducing predation on artificial nests as illustrated by increased DSR (0.47 to 0.98 in the first experiment and 0.00 to 0.99 in the second experiment); however, transferability of this technique to plover and tern nests was not fully realized. Ó 2018 The Wildlife Society. KEY WORDS common raven, conditioned taste aversion, least tern, nest survival, predator management, snowy plover.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating the efficacy of carbachol at reducing corvid predation on artificial nests

Brinkman¹,

Garcelon²,

Colwell

2018

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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Influence of food subsidies on the foraging ecology of a synanthropic species in protected areas

et al. 2016

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Abstract. The expansion of many synanthropic species is linked to changes in the abundance and distribution of human-derived foods, and understanding how food subsidies influence the foraging ecology of synanthropes can facilitate reducing impacts to rare species. We combined stable isotope analyses and radiotelemetry information to characterize space-use and dietary patterns in Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), a known nest predator of marbled murrelets, sampled at both campground and forest sites in California state parks. We classified jays into four groups based on patterns of space use: (1) campground (jays captured in campgrounds that predominantly used these areas), (2) periphery (jays captured in campgrounds that commonly used adjacent forests), (3) intermediate (jays captured at forest sites that made long-distance movements between forests and campgrounds), and (4) forest (jays captured and only detected in forests). In the most heavily visited park, human foods comprised more than half of the diet of campground jays based on stable isotopes; moreover, campground jays consumed a greater proportion of human foods than periphery or intermediate jays, which both consumed more human foods than forest jays. Campground jays exhibited a functional response to human foods as park visitation increased, and breeding individuals preferentially provisioned their young with human-derived foods. Based on space-use patterns of intermediate jays, we estimated that the "ecological footprint" of campgrounds extended 2 km beyond their spatial footprint. Thus, the impacts of seemingly spatially constrained human recreational activities can have spillover effects on animal communities at relatively broad spatial scales within protected areas.

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Human food subsidies drive individual specialization and intrapopulation dietary differences in a generalist predator

West

Jones

2022

Ecosphere

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Generalist species can exhibit individual specialization (IS), where individuals adopt specialized foraging behaviors not attributable to age, sex, or social dominance. While IS increases with the diversity of available foraging resources (ecological opportunity), the potential impact of human food subsidies on ecological opportunity is unknown. We quantified the isotopic niche width of Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), a synanthropic predator and dietary generalist, across a gradient of human land‐use categories ranging from subsidized (park campgrounds) to unsubsidized (forest interior) habitats in a protected area in California. We asked (1) if isotopic niche width was better predicted by individual foraging behavior than sex, social dominance, or habitat category (indicating IS) and (2) if degree of IS exhibited by jays increased with the availability of human food subsidies. We characterized the isotopic niche space occupied by individual jays relative to the population using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values. Using linear models, we found that jay diet variation was best explained by individual behavior and habitat use rather than by sex or social dominance. While the degree of IS increased with the availability of human foods, individual jays exhibited a variety of foraging behaviors in all habitats that were segregated by foraging stratum and use of human foods. Individual diet also determined the degree of specialization, as jays that specialized on human foods had the narrowest niche width regardless of habitat. Management efforts targeted at generalist wildlife exhibiting large degrees of IS should therefore account for the impact of food subsidies on foraging behavior. Approaches that involve aversive conditioning may fail where highly specialized individuals are unlikely to encounter treatments; therefore, we recommend simultaneous efforts to limit human food subsidies (e.g., information campaigns and improved containment of human food and food waste), and deployment across the largest possible extent of foraging microhabitats and substrates in order to ensure exposure of whole populations to emetic eggs.

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Aversive conditioning of Steller's Jays to improve marbled murrelet nest survival

Cited by 16 publications

References 29 publications

Evaluating the efficacy of carbachol at reducing corvid predation on artificial nests

Evaluating the efficacy of carbachol at reducing corvid predation on artificial nests

Influence of food subsidies on the foraging ecology of a synanthropic species in protected areas

Human food subsidies drive individual specialization and intrapopulation dietary differences in a generalist predator

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