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Reduced nest defence intensity and improved breeding success in terns as responses to removal of non-native American mink

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Abstract

Lack of parental experience or differences in reproductive effort may lead to variation in nest defence behaviour among individuals in a prey population. In this experimental study, we analysed nest defence behaviour using a model of an American mink, Mustela vison, a non-native predator, at colonies of arctic terns, Sterna paradisaea, in two large areas where mink had been removed and two comparable control areas with mink in the south-western archipelago of Finland, Baltic Sea, in June 2000. Furthermore, we recorded breeding success of arctic terns in the same four areas during 1998–2001. Arctic terns took higher risks in nest defence in control areas and in a short-term (mink-free for 2 years) removal area than in the long-term (mink-free for 8 years) removal area. Thus, colonies with recent experience of mink were more active in defending their offspring. The breeding success of arctic terns was significantly higher in mink-removal areas than in control areas. We conclude that arctic terns modify their nest defence behaviour in the presence of mink. However, they cannot defend their nests sufficiently against this mainly nocturnal predator, since their breeding success is reduced in areas where mink are present.

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Acknowledgements

M.N. was financially supported by the Maj and Tor Nessling foundation. Mink removal and bird census work were financially supported by the Metsähallitus Forest and Park Services and the EU Commission Interreg IIa program, and nest defence trials were supported by the Academy of Finland (grant nos. 63525, 64542, 69014, 71110, 74131, 80696 and 202013 to E.K.). Mink removal was conducted by N. Laanetu and J. Nummelin, with assistance from J. Andersson, Ö. Mattsson, and B. and I. Willström. J. Högmander, M. Lappalainen, R. Lindroos, M. Miettinen, L. Nikkinen, K. Rainio, and W. Velmala assisted in the field. J. Bêty, V. Bretagnolle, T. Klemola, M. Mönkkönen, K. Norrdahl, and two anonymous referees gave valuable comments on the manuscript. Permission to work in restricted areas was given by the Metsähallitus Forest and Park Services, and a licence to ring and measure wild birds was held by the zoological museum at the University of Helsinki, Finland. All procedures in this study comply with the national laws and regulations of Finland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Mikael Nordström, Markus Ahola & Erkki Korpimäki

  2. Bureau of Environment, City of Turku, Finland

    Jarmo Laine

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  1. Mikael Nordström
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  2. Jarmo Laine
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  3. Markus Ahola
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  4. Erkki Korpimäki
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Correspondence to Mikael Nordström.

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Communicated by J. Graves

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Nordström, M., Laine, J., Ahola, M. et al. Reduced nest defence intensity and improved breeding success in terns as responses to removal of non-native American mink. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 55, 454–460 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-003-0731-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-003-0731-z

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