Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Pollet, Ingrid L.; Shutler, Dave; Chardine, John W.; Ryder, John P.

doi:10.2173/bow.ribgul.01

Cited by 14 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…Beeman and Maule () observed that steelhead smolts were more surface oriented compared with salmon smolts, and surface orientation is believed to render fish more vulnerable to predation by terns and gulls—species that forage in the top 1 m of the water column (Winkler ; Cuthbert and Wires ; Pollet et al. ). Given the greater susceptibility of steelhead to colonial waterbird predation observed in these studies, it is likely that the cumulative impact from the 14 colonies evaluated in the present study was substantially greater on upper Columbia River steelhead compared with other species of salmonids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), California gulls and ring‐billed gulls are generalist omnivores that scavenge food in addition to consuming live prey (Winkler ; Pollet et al. ). Previous studies found that juvenile salmonids comprised less than 10% (by mass) of the diet of gulls nesting at colonies on the Columbia River (Collis et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…() attributed high rates of steelhead smolt consumption by gulls to the relatively large size (tens of thousands of breeding pairs) of gull colonies, coupled with the gulls’ behavioral flexibility to exploit temporarily available food sources (Winkler ; Pollet et al. ). In a spatially explicit investigation of smolt predation by California gulls and ring‐billed gulls nesting at colonies in the Columbia River, Evans et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cumulative Effects of Avian Predation on Upper Columbia River Steelhead

et al. 2019

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To investigate the cumulative effects of colonial waterbird predation on fish mortality and to determine what proportion of all sources of fish mortality (1 − survival) was due to bird predation, we conducted a mark–recapture–recovery study with upper Columbia River steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss that were PIT‐tagged and released (N = 78,409) at Rock Island Dam on the Columbia River, USA. We used a state–space Bayesian model that incorporated live detections and dead recoveries of tagged fish to jointly estimate predation and survival probabilities during smolt out‐migration to the Pacific Ocean over an 11‐year study period. Estimated cumulative (all colonies combined) avian predation probabilities ranged from 0.31 (95% credible interval [CRI] = 0.27–0.38) to 0.53 (95% CRI = 0.42–0.64) annually, indicating that avian predation was a substantial source of mortality. Of the predator species evaluated, predation by Caspian terns Hydroprogne caspia was often the highest, with predation probabilities ranging from 0.11 (95% CRI = 0.09–0.14) to 0.38 (95% CRI = 0.29–0.47). Probabilities of predation by double‐crested cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus and mixed colonies of California gulls Larus californicus and ring‐billed gulls L. delawarensis were generally lower than the probabilities for terns but were also substantial, with upwards of 0.04 (95% CRI = 0.03–0.07; cormorants) and 0.31 (95% CRI = 0.25–0.39; gulls) of steelhead consumed. Comparisons of total smolt mortality with mortality due to avian predation indicated that avian predation accounted for 42% (95% CRI = 30–56%) to 70% (95% CRI = 53–87%) of total mortality, suggesting that more steelhead were consumed by avian predators than died from all other mortality sources combined. Results indicate that avian predation, although not the original cause of steelhead declines in the basin, is now a factor limiting the survival of upper Columbia River steelhead. Using the analytical framework developed in this study, future studies can consider the cumulative impact of multiple mortality sources across large spatial and temporal scales to more fully understand the extent to which they limit fish survival.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cumulative Effects of Avian Predation on Upper Columbia River Steelhead

et al. 2019

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“…Chicks were monitored daily from hatching until fledging (maximum 42 dph). We considered 42 days old as the maximum fledging age of this population as previous studies indicated that ring-billed gulls nesting in an urban environment would fledge between 30 and 42 days old ( Chardine, 1978 ; Mousseau, 1984 ; Pollet et al, 2012 ). All methods were performed under appropriate permits (Canadian Wildlife Service Scientific Permit, number SC-80; Environment and Climate Change Canada Scientific Permit to Capture and Band Migratory Birds, numbers 10890 and 10890B; Letter of Authorization from the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques to conduct research on the Beauharnois lot #4716939) and were approved by the Memorial University Animal Care Committee (number 19-03-DW).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Omega-3 fatty acids accelerate fledging in an avian marine predator: a potential role of cognition

Lamarre

Cheema

Robertson

et al. 2021

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Consuming omega-3 fatty acids (n3-LCPUFAs) during development improves cognition in mammals, but the effect remains untested in other taxa. In aquatic ecosystems, n3-LCPUFAs are produced by phytoplankton and bioaccumulate in the food web. Alarmingly, the warming and acidification of aquatic systems caused by climate change impair n3-LCPUFA production, with an anticipated decrease of 80% by the year 2100. We tested whether n3-LCPUFA consumption affects the physiology, morphology, behaviour, and cognition of a top marine predator's chicks, the ring-billed gull. Using a colony with little access to n3-LCPUFAs, we supplemented siblings from 22 fenced nests with opposite treatments from hatching until fledging; one sibling received n3-LCPUFA-rich fish oil and the other, a control sucrose solution without n3-LCPUFAs. Halfway through the nestling period, half the chicks receiving fish oil were switched to the sucrose solution to test whether n3-LCPUFA intake remains crucial past the main growth phase (chronic versus transient treatments). Upon fledging, n3-LCPUFAs were elevated in the blood and brains of chicks receiving the chronic treatment, but were comparable to control levels among transient chicks. Across the entire sample, chicks with elevated n3-LCPUFAs in their tissues fledged earlier despite their morphology and activity levels being unrelated to fledging age. Fledging required chicks to escape fences encircling their nest. We therefore interpret fledging age as a possible indicator of cognition, with chicks with improved cognition fledging earlier. These results provide insight into whether declining dietary n3-LCPUFAs will compromise top predators' problem-solving skills, thus, their ability to survive in a rapidly changing world.

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“…Because Ring‐billed Gull chicks depend on parents for food (except for rare instances of kleptoparasitism or scavenging; Pollet et al. ), as an important metric related to health, the record of any feeding during a watch was also used in a separate generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis as a binary dependent variable (presence/absence of any feed) with a binomial link function. Data in this analysis were restricted to Watches 2 and 3 when study chicks were carrying devices.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A simple, band-mounted device to measure behaviorally modified thermal microclimates experienced by birds

Arnold

Oswald

2018

J. Field Ornithol.

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Birds encounter climate at the scale of microclimates that can vary rapidly in time and space and so understanding potential vulnerability and adaptations to those microclimates requires fine-scale measurements that accurately track thermal exposures. However, few options exist for recording the microclimates actually experienced by birds (realized microclimates). We constructed and tested a simple, lowcost, temperature logger for recording the realized microclimates of ground-nesting birds. We developed attachment protocols for band-mounting Thermochron iButtons on Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) chicks. We tested these mounted, temperature-logging devices on 20 chicks weighing > 200 g (device weight was 4 g), attaching devices for 48 h and observing behavior before and after attachment and removal. Devices recorded temperature immediately surrounding the leg at 2-min intervals. Recorded temperatures were strong predictors of observed thermoregulatory behaviors (panting and sitting), outperforming predictions based on air temperatures measured by basic, static approaches. Through comparison with matched controls (chicks with just a band), we detected no adverse physiological effects of devices, no effects on social or feeding behavior, and only a short-term decrease in inactivity immediately after device attachment (likely due to increased preening). By attaching iButtons to the legs of birds, we quantified realized thermal exposure, integrating air temperature, modes of environmental heat transfer, and bird behavior at microclimatic scales.Although not yet validated for broader use, our approach (including possible miniaturization) should be suitable to measure thermal exposure of adults, not just chicks, allowing collection of data concerning thermal exposures during flight under field conditions. At~$25 USD per device, our approach facilitates experimental protocols with robust sample sizes, even for relatively modest budgets.

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Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Cumulative Effects of Avian Predation on Upper Columbia River Steelhead

Cumulative Effects of Avian Predation on Upper Columbia River Steelhead

Omega-3 fatty acids accelerate fledging in an avian marine predator: a potential role of cognition

A simple, band-mounted device to measure behaviorally modified thermal microclimates experienced by birds

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