Volume 46, No. 2
Volumes > 38 (2010-->)
- Volume 52, No. 2, 2024
- Volume 52, No. 1, 2024
- Volume 51, No. 2, 2023
- Volume 51, No. 1, 2023
- Volume 50, No. 2, 2022
- Volume 50, No. 1, 2022
- Volume 49, No. 2, 2021
- Volume 49, No. 1, 2021
- Volume 48, No. 2, 2020
- Volume 48, No. 1, 2020
- Volume 47, No. 2, 2019
- Volume 47, No. 1, 2019
- Volume 46, No. 2, 2018
- Volume 46, No. 1, 2018
- Volume 45, No. 2, 2017
- Volume 45, No. 1, 2017
- Volume 44, No. 2, 2016
- Volume 44, No. 1, 2016
- Volume 43, No. 2, 2015
- Volume 43, No. 1, 2015
- Volume 42, No. 2, 2014
- Volume 42, No. 1, 2014
- Volume 41, No. 2, 2013
- Volume 41, No. 1, 2013
- Volume 41, Special Issue, 2013
- Volume 40, No. 2, 2012
- Volume 40, No. 1, 2012
- Volume 39, No. 2, 2011
- Volume 39, No. 1, 2011
- Volume 38, No. 2, 2010
- Volume 38, No. 1, 2010
Volumes 28-37 (2000-09)
- Volume 37, No. 3, 2009
- Volume 37, No. 2, 2009
- Volume 37, No. 1, 2009
- Volume 36, No. 2, 2008
- Volume 36, No. 1, 2008
- Volume 35, No. 2, 2007
- Volume 35, No. 1, 2007
- Volume 34, No. 2, 2006
- Volume 34, No. 1, 2006
- Volume 33, No. 2, 2005
- Volume 33, No. 1, 2005
- Volume 32, No. 2, 2004
- Volume 32, No. 1, 2004
- Volume 31, No. 2, 2003
- Volume 31, No. 1, 2003
- Volume 30, No. 2, 2002
- Volume 30, No. 1, 2002
- Volume 29, No. 2, 2001
- Volume 29, No. 1, 2001
- Volume 28, No. 2, 2000
- Volume 28, No. 1, 2000
Volumes 18-27 (1990-99)
- Volume 27, No. 1 & 2, 1999
- Volume 26, No. 1 & 2, 1998
- Volume 24, No. 1 & 2, 1996
- Volume 25, No. 1 & 2, 1997
- Volume 23, No. 2, 1995
- Volume 23, No. 1, 1995
- Volume 22, No. 2, 1994
- Volume 22, No. 1, 1994
- Volume 21, No. 1 & 2, 1993
- Volume 20, No. 1 & 2, 1992
- Volume 19, No. 1, 1991
- Volume 18, No. 1 & 2, 1990
Volumes 5-17 (1978-89) a.k.a 'Cormorant'
- Volume 17, No. 1 & 2, 1989
- Volume 16, No. 1, 1988
- Volume 16, No. 2, 1988
- Volume 15, No. 1 & 2, 1987
- Volume 14, No. 1 & 2, 1987
- Volume 13, No. 2, 1986
- Volume 13, No. 1, 1986
- Volume 12, No. 2, 1985
- Volume 12, No. 1, 1985
- Volume 11, No. 1 & 2, 1984
- Volume 10, No. 2, 1983
- Volume 10, No. 1, 1983
- Volume 9, No. 2, 1982
- Volume 9, No. 1, 1982
- Volume 8, No. 2, 1981
- Volume 8, No. 1, 1981
- Volume 7, 1980
- Volume 5, 1978
Search by author or title:
Reproductive ecology of urban-nesting Glaucous-Winged Gulls Larus glaucescens in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Citation
KROC, E. 2018. Reproductive ecology of urban-nesting Glaucous-Winged Gulls Larus glaucescens in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Marine Ornithology 46: 155
- 164
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.46.2.1270
Received 01 November 2017, accepted 10 July 2018
Date Published: 2018/10/15
Date Online: 2018/8/30
Key words: Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, reproductive success, urban nesting, rooftop nesting, urban ecology, Vancouver
Abstract
The present study investigated the reproductive success and breeding ecology of 102 Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens pairs nesting in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia during the summer of 2015. These urban breeders enjoyed a remarkably high level of post-hatch fledging success (≥ 85%) compared to previous records for non-urban subpopulations in the region (≈ 70%). A relatively small average initial clutch size of 2.43 eggs was observed, which aligns with a historical analysis of the literature and corroborates the inference that clutch size has declined substantially in the region over the past century. I argue that the high level of post-hatch fledging success is likely attributable to a tendency of urban Glaucous-winged Gulls to establish isolated nesting territories, often on the rooftops of individual buildings, which leads to low intra- and interspecific predation. Given that offspring commonly return to their natal sites to breed later in life, the evolutionary impact of this reproductive differential could be significant for the ecological future of Glaucous-winged Gulls in the region.
References
BALMER, D.E., GILLINGS, S., CAFFREY, B.J., SWANN, R.L., DOWNIE, I.S. & FULLER, R.J. 2013. Bird Atlas 2007-11: The Breeding and Wintering Birds of Britain and Ireland. Thetford, UK: BTO Books.
BELANT, J.L., ICKES, S.K. & SEAMANS, T.W. 1998. Importance of landfills to urban-nesting Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. Landscape and Urban Planning 43: 11-19.
BLIGHT, L.K. 2011. Egg production in a coastal seabird, the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens), declines during the last century. PLoS ONE 6: e22027. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022027
BLIGHT, L.K. 2012. Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) as sentinels for a century of ecosystem change: Long-term trends in population, diet, and egg production in North America's Salish Sea. Ph.D. dissertation. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia.
BLIGHT, L.K., DREVER, M.C. & ARCESE, P. 2015. A century of change in Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) populations in a dynamic coastal environment. The Condor 117: 108-120.
BOWER, J.L. 2009. Changes in marine bird abundance in the Salish Sea: 1975 to 2007. Marine Ornithology 37: 9-17.
BUEHLER, D.A., MERSMANN, T.J., FRASER, J.D. & SEEGAR, J.K.D. 1991. Effects of human activity on Bald Eagle distribution on the Northern Chesapeake Bay. The Journal of Wildlife Management 55: 282-290.
DAVIS, M.L., ELLIOTT, J.E. & WILLIAMS, T.D. 2015. Spatial and temporal variation in the dietary ecology of the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) in the Pacific Northwest. Marine Ornithology 43: 189-198.
DWYER, C.P., BELANT, J.L. & DOLBEER, R.A. 1996. Distribution and abundance of roof-nesting gulls in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. The Ohio Journal of Science 96: 9-12.
EMLEN, J.T., JR. 1956. Juvenile mortality in a Ring-billed Gull colony. The Wilson Bulletin 68: 232-238.
GILLETT, W.H., HAYWARD, J.L., JR. & STOUT, J.F. 1975. Effects of human activity on egg and chick mortality in a Glaucous-winged Gull colony. The Condor 77: 492-495.
GOOD, T.P. 2002. Breeding success in the Western Gull × Glaucous-winged Gull complex: The influence of habitat and nest-site characteristics. The Condor 104: 353-365.
HALPERN, B.S., WALBRIDGE, S., SELKOE, K.A. ET AL. 2008. A global map of human impact on marine ecosystems. Science 319: 948-952.
HARRIS, M.P. 1964. Aspects of the breeding biology of the gulls Larus argentatus, L. fuscus and L. marinus. Ibis 106: 432-456.
HATCH, S.A., GILL, V.A. & MULCAHY, D.M. 2011. Migration and wintering areas of Glaucous-winged Gulls from south-central Alaska. The Condor 113: 340-351.
HATCH, S.A. & HATCH, M.A. 1990. Components of breeding productivity in a marine bird community: Key factors and concordance. Canadian Journal of Zoology 68: 1680-1690.
HAYMES, G.T. & BLOKPOEL, H. 1980. The influence of age on the breeding biology of Ring-billed Gulls. The Wilson Bulletin 92: 221-228.
HOOPER, T.D. 1988. Habitat, reproductive parameters, and nest-site tenacity of urban-nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls at Victoria, British Columbia. The Murrelet 69: 10-14.
HUNT, G.L., JR. & HUNT, M.W. 1975. Reproductive ecology of the Western Gull: The importance of nest spacing. The Auk 92: 270-279.
KADLEC, J.A., DRURY, W.H., JR. & ONION, D.K. 1969. Growth and mortality of Herring Gull chicks. Bird-Banding 40: 222-223.
KOVACS, K.M. & RYDER, J.P. 1983. Reproductive performance of female-female pairs and polygynous trios of Ring-billed Gulls. The Auk 100: 658-669.
MONAGHAN, P. & COULSON, J.C. 1977. Status of large gulls nesting on buildings. Bird Study 24: 89-104.
PONS, J.M. 1992. Effects of changes in the availability of human refuse on breeding parameters in a Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) population in Brittany, France. Ardea 80: 143-150.
RAVEN, S.J. & COULSON, J.C. 1997. The distribution and abundance of Larus gulls nesting on buildings in Britain and Ireland. Bird Study 44: 13-34.
REID, W.V. 1988. Population dynamics of the Glaucous-winged Gull. The Journal of Wildlife Management 52: 763-770.
ROCK, P. 2005. Urban gulls: Problems and solutions. British Birds 98: 338-355.
ROSS-SMITH, V.H., JOHNSTON, A. & FERNS, P.N. 2015. Hatching success in Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus - an island case study of the effects of egg and nest site quality. Seabird 28: 1-16.
SOLDATINI, C., ALBORES-BARAJAS, Y.V., MAINARDI, D. & MONAGHAN, P. 2008. Roof nesting by gulls for better or worse? Italian Journal of Zoology 75: 295-303.
STEIDL, R.J. & ANTHONY, R.G. 2000. Experimental effects of human activity on breeding Bald Eagles. Ecological Applications 10: 258-268.
SULLIVAN, T.M., HAZLITT, S.L. & LEMON, M.J.F. 2002. Population trends of nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls, Larus glaucescens, in the south Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. Canadian Field-Naturalist 116: 603-606.
TEMBY, I.D. 2000. Pieces of Silver: Examples of the economic impact and management of the Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae) in Melbourne, Australia. In: CLARK, L. (Ed.) Proceedings of the Third NWRC Special Symposium (Human Conflicts with Wildlife: Economic Considerations). Fort Collins, CO: National Wildlife Research Center.
THERRIAULT, T.W., HAY, D.E. & SCHWEIGERT, J.F. 2009. Biological overview and trends in pelagic forage fish abundance in the Salish Sea (Strait of Georgia, British Columbia). Marine Ornithology 37: 3-8.
VERBEEK, N.A.M. 1986. Aspects of the breeding biology of an expanded population of Glaucous-winged Gulls in British Columbia. Journal of Field Ornithology 57: 22-33.
VERMEER, K. 1963. The breeding ecology of the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) on Mandarte Island, BC. Occasional Papers of the British Columbia Provincial Museum, volume 13. Victoria, BC: British Columbia Provincial Museum.
VERMEER, K. 1970. Breeding Biology of California and ring-billed gulls: A study of ecological adaptation to inland habitat. Canadian Wildlife Service Report Series - Number 12. Ottawa, ON: Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
VERMEER, K. 1982. Comparison of the diet of the Glaucous-winged Gull on the east and west coasts of Vancouver Island. The Murrelet 63: 80-85.
VERMEER, K. 1992. Population growth of the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Ardea 80: 181-185.
VERMEER, K. & DEVITO, K. 1989. Population trends of nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls in the Strait of Georgia. In: VERMEER, K. & BUTLER, R.W. (Eds.) The Ecology and Status of Marine and Shoreline Birds in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. Special Publication. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Wildlife Service.
VERMEER, K., POWER, D. & SMITH, G.E.J. 1988. Habitat selection and nesting biology of roof-nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls. Colonial Waterbirds 11: 189-201.
WARD, J.G. 1973. Reproductive success, food supply, and the evolution of clutch-size in the Glaucous-winged Gull. Ph.D. dissertation. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia.