Abstract
European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are responsible for high rates of egg predation at one of the main colonies of the endangered roseate tern (Sterna dougallii) in the Azores archipelago. Control taste aversion has been effective in controlling raven predation in a colony of California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni), but there is little quantitative information about its efficacy on other species of predators taking eggs. We conducted a control taste aversion experiment on yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) and European starlings eating eggs of terns in a mixed colony of common (Sterna hirundo) and roseate terns in the Azores. We treated quail (Coturnix coturnix) eggs with methiocarb and deployed them in artificial nests in the tern colony. On the first experiment, conducted before the terns laid eggs, predation rates on quail eggs by yellow-legged gulls showed significant and rapid decrease after deployment of treated eggs. During the second experiment, after the terns had started laying, results were mixed. Although predation rates by European starlings on treated quail eggs decreased, predation rates on tern eggs did not. We conclude that control taste aversion using methiocarb-treated eggs is likely to reduce depredation by gulls but not starlings because of the need to pre-train the birds and the tendency of starlings to be attracted by the movement of adults, not the presence of nests.
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Acknowledgement
Funding for this project was provided by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for funding (grant SFRH/BD/3436/ 2000) and the Glasgow Natural History Society. We thank J. Simón (Eurodissey programme), H. Simões and M. Santos for their help with fieldwork; J. Maria for transport to the islet; R. Santos for finding a farmer who could provide quail eggs, and M. Cormons for comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. The experiments conducted in this study comply with the Portuguese laws and were performed under permit no. 3/CN/2003 from “Direcção de Serviços de Conservação da Natureza”, Environment Secretary.
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Neves, V.C., Panagiotakopoulos, S. & Furness, R.W. A control taste aversion experiment on predators of roseate tern (Sterna dougallii) eggs. Eur J Wildl Res 52, 259–264 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-006-0044-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-006-0044-4