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Utilisation of intertidal mudflats by the Dunlin Calidris alpina in relation to microphytobenthic biofilms

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Abstract

The small-scale spatial distribution of Dunlin Calidris alpina staging and wintering in Bourgneuf Bay (France) was investigated on two different mudflats colonized by either epipsammic- or epipelic-dominated microphytobenthos assemblages. Shorebird counts were conducted monthly at ebb tide from October 2011 to May 2012 and from November 2012 to May 2013. Multiple linear regressions followed by hierarchical partitioning of variance showed that microphytobenthos biomass was not a significant factor to explain Dunlin densities. However, on epipelic-dominated mudflats, Dunlins did not show their typical “tide follower” behaviour and instead significantly selected the highest microphytobenthos biomass zones. The biomass of a gastropod predator of an important local Dunlin prey, Retusa obtusa, was negatively correlated with Dunlin densities. This paper provides new suggestions in the ways that biofilms on mudflats affect small shorebird foraging.

Zusammenfassung

Die Nutzung von Wattflächen durch Alpenstrandläufer Calidris alpina im Hinblick auf mikrophytobenthische Biofilme

Die kleinräumige Verteilung von Alpenstrandläufern Calidris alpina, die in der Bucht von Bourgneuf (Frankreich) rasten und überwintern, wurde auf zwei verschiedenen Wattflächen untersucht, die von Mikrophytobenthosgemeinschaften besiedelt wurden, welche entweder von epipsammischen oder epipelischen Arten dominiert wurden. Watvogelzählungen wurden monatlich bei Ebbe von Oktober 2011 bis Mai 2012 durchgeführt. Multiple lineare Regressionen, gefolgt von der hierarchischen Partitionierung der Varianz, zeigten, dass die Biomasse des Mikrophytobenthos keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Dichte der Alpenstrandläufer hatte. Auf von epipelischen Arten dominierten Wattflächen zeigten Alpenstrandläufer jedoch nicht ihr typisches “Gezeitenfolgeverhalten”, sondern wählten stattdessen die Zonen mit der höchsten Mikrophytobenthosbiomasse. Die Biomasse einer Schnecke, die eine wichtige lokale Beute des Alpenstrandläufers frisst (Retusa obtusa), zeigte eine negative Korrelation mit der Alpenstrandläuferdichte. Diese Studie liefert neue Hinweise, dass Biofilme auf Wattflächen das Nahrungsverhalten kleiner Watvögel beeinflussen.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the local authorities (Délégation à la Mer et au Littoral—Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer) that allowed us to carry our study through. The experiments comply with the current French laws. We thank P. Bocher, P. Pineau, N. Lachaussée, G. Quaintenne, C. Parrain, P. Rosa, P. Gaudin, I. Benyoucef, P. Gambin-Pozo, V. Méléder, A. Lerouxel and others for their collaboration during fieldwork and cartography. We extend our sincere thanks to M. Amat, E. De Carheil and B. Jesus for the English revisions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MMS-IUML, CNRS FR 3473, Université de Nantes, BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cédex 3, France

    Sigrid Drouet, Vincent Turpin, Bruno Cognie, Richard P. Cosson & Priscilla Decottignies

  2. LETG-IUML, CNRS UMR 6554, Université de Nantes, BP 81227, 44312, Nantes Cédex 3, France

    Laurent Godet

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  1. Sigrid Drouet
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  2. Vincent Turpin
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  3. Laurent Godet
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  4. Bruno Cognie
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  6. Priscilla Decottignies
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Correspondence to Priscilla Decottignies.

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Communicated by F. Bairlein.

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Drouet, S., Turpin, V., Godet, L. et al. Utilisation of intertidal mudflats by the Dunlin Calidris alpina in relation to microphytobenthic biofilms. J Ornithol 156, 75–83 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1133-x

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