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The effects of human presence, flock size and prey density on shorebird foraging rates

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Abstract

Animals may alter their foraging behaviour in the presence of humans because they perceive humans as potential predators. In this study I determined whether people caused shorebirds to reduce feeding rates at a stopover site in coastal British Columbia, Canada. I controlled for prey density and flock size because these variables may influence both the foraging rates as well as the effect of human disturbance on feeding efficiency. Semipalmated plovers decreased feeding rates when there were more people on the beach (multiple regression: F1,15=5.86, b=0.59, P=0.029, R2=37.6%). For least sandpipers, the effect of human densities on feeding rates depended on flock size (F1,21=5.97, P=0.023) and amphipod availability (F1,21=4.98, P=0.037). This study demonstrated the importance of measuring subtle behavioural changes in foraging rates along with key ecological variables in order to assess the true impact of human disturbance on migratory shorebirds.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Alan Burger, Peter Hodum, Natalie Hamel, Rob Butler, Phil Dearden, Dave Duffus, John Quinn, Will Cresswell, Charlie Short, Trevor Haynes, Jessica Beaubier, Johannes Ebeling and anonymous referees for valuable suggestions on methods and comments on previous drafts. I also thank the staff at Bamfield Marine Station and Philip Dearden for equipment, Ole Heggen for maps and Natalie Hamel, Rian Dickson, Christine Dahl, Omar McDadi, Nikki Stubbs and Johannes Ebeling for invertebrate sampling. I was supported by a PGS-A scholarship from NSERC, Canada.

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  1. Marine Protected Areas Research Group, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3050, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3P5

    Maï Yasué

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  1. Maï Yasué
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Correspondence to Maï Yasué.

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Yasué, M. The effects of human presence, flock size and prey density on shorebird foraging rates. J Ethol 23, 199–204 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-005-0152-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-005-0152-8

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