Conservation Evidence: Evidence Data

Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Move fish-eating birds to reduce conflict with fishermenA single before-and-after study in the USA found that Caspian tern Sterna caspia chicks had a lower proportion of commercial fish in their diet following the movement of the colony away from an important fishery. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F281https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F281Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:58:27 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use signs and access restrictions to reduce disturbance at nest sites Six studies (two replicated and controlled, two before-and-after and two small studies) from across the world found increased numbers of breeders, higher reproductive success or lower levels of disturbance in waders and terns following the start of access restrictions or the erection of signs near nesting areas. One Canadian study involved the use of multiple interventions. A before-and-after study from the USA found that a colony of black-crowned night herons Nycticorax nycticorax was successfully relocated to an area with no public access. One small study from Europe and one replicated and controlled study from Antarctica found no effect of access restrictions on the reproductive success of eagles or penguins, respectively. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F309https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F309Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:56:43 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Start educational programmes for personal watercraft ownersA before-and-after trial in the USA found that rates of disturbance by personal watercraft decreased and reproductive success of common terns Sterna hirundo increased following a series of educational programmes aimed at recreational boat users. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F314https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F314Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:11:40 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use nest covers to reduce the impact of research on predation of ground-nesting seabirdsA before-and-after study in Canada found that protecting Caspian tern Sterna caspia nests after researchers disturbed parents from them significantly increased hatching success. This was due to a reduction in predation by ring-billed gulls Larus delawarensis. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F316https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F316Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:26:31 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control avian predators on islands Out of 10 studies, six before-and-after studies from North America, Australia and Europe found that controlling avian predators led to increased population sizes, reduced mortality or increased reproductive success in seabirds on islands. The North American studies had several interventions, so increases could not be linked directly to predator control, and one found that increases were only at one of two sites studied. Two controlled studies in Europe found little evidence that crow control led to increased reproductive success in gamebirds or raptors on islands. A North American study found that, despite higher reproductive success, very few birds returned to the study site after predator removal. A study from North America found that an Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica translocation programme, combined with the culling of predatory gulls, appeared to be successful. A study from the UK found that the number of common terns Sterna hirundo and black-headed gulls Larus ridibundus declined on gravel islands despite the attempted control of large gulls. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F372https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F372Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:43:03 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control predators not on islands for seabirds A before-and-after study from New Zealand found an increase in a tern population following intensive trapping of invasive mammals. A before-and-after study from Canada found increases in tern fledging success following gull control. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F385https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F385Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:42:50 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of ground nesting seabirds A before-and-after study from Japan found an increase in fledging rates of little terns Sterna albifrons following the provision of chick shelters and other interventions. Two studies from the USA and Canada found reduced predation of tern chicks following the provision of chick shelters. A small study from the USA found low levels of use of chick shelters, except when predators were present. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F397https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F397Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:01:08 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Reduce inter-specific competition for nest sites of ground nesting seabirds by removing competitor species Four studies from Canada and the UK found increased tern Sterna spp. populations following the control or exclusion of gulls Larus spp. In two studies many interventions were used, making it impossible to tell which was responsible. One study from the UK and one from Canada found that controlling large gulls had no impact on smaller species. Two studies from the USA and UK found that exclusion devices successfully reduced the numbers of gulls at sites, although one found that they were only effective at small colonies and the other found that methods varied in their effectiveness and practicality. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F422https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F422Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:21:39 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Replace nesting substrate following severe weatherTwo before-and-after studies from Canada found that common tern Sterna hirundo populations increased at one colony where nesting substrates were replaced, but decreased at a second. Several other interventions were used at both sites, making it difficult to evaluate the effects of substrate replacement. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F474https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F474Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:47:05 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Provide artificial nesting sites for ground and tree-nesting seabirds Three studies from the UK and the Azores found increases in gull and tern populations following the provision of rafts/islands or providing nest boxes alongside other interventions. A controlled, replicated study from the USA found that terns had higher nesting success on nesting rafts in one of two years monitored and a before-and-after study from Japan found that nesting success increased after the provision of nesting substrate. Five studies from Canada and Europe found that terns used re-profiled or artificial islands or nesting rafts, but pelicans did not. A small study from Hawaii found that red-footed boobies Sula sula preferentially nested in an artificial ‘tree-style’ nesting structure, compared to other designs. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F480https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F480Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:40:27 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Provide nesting habitat for birds that is safe from extreme weather A small from New Zealand found Chatham Island oystercatchers Haematopus chathamensis used raised nest platforms made from car tyres (designed to raise nests above the level of storm surges). The success of these nests is not reported. Two replicated, controlled studies from the USA found that the nesting success of terns and waders was no higher on specially raised areas of nesting substrate, compared to unraised areas, with one study finding that a similar proportion of nests were lost to flooding in raised and unraised areas. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F504https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F504Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:55:55 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Remove vegetation to create nesting areas Two out of six studies found that the number of waders and terns nesting in an area increased following the removal of vegetation, and another found that a tern colony moved to an area prepared by removing vegetation. Two of these studies used multiple interventions at once. One study found a decrease in colony size after several interventions, including vegetation control. A study from the UK found that gulls and terns nested in an area cleared of vegetation and a controlled study from Puerto Rico found that although no terns nested in plots cleared completely of vegetation, more nested in partially-cleared plots than in uncleared plots. A before-and-after study from Canada found that tern nesting success was higher after plots were cleared of vegetation and other interventions were used. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F505https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F505Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:00:49 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use vocalisations to attract birds to safe areas Six studies from North America, the Galapagos and the Azores found that seabirds were more likely to nest in areas where vocalisations were played, or were successfully attracted to nest in new areas, following the playing of vocalisations. Four of these studies used several interventions at once. One study found that some calls were more effective than others. Two studies from the USA and the Galapagos found that birds did not colonise all new areas where vocalisations were played. It is possible that the result from the Galapagos was due to only having a single year’s data. One controlled study from Hawaii found that albatross were more likely to land in areas where vocalisations were played than in areas without vocalisation playback. A small controlled study from New Zealand found that terns were not more likely to land in areas where vocalisations were played. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F585https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F585Sat, 06 Oct 2012 21:54:59 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use decoys to attract birds to safe areas Seven studies found that birds bred in areas where decoys (of birds or nests) were used to attract birds. Six of the studies used several interventions at once. Two studies from the USA found that least terns Sterna antillarum and herons were not attracted to new areas to breed when decoys were used. Five studies from North America and France and Spain found that more birds landed near decoys than in control areas. The two studies to compare decoy types found that three-dimensional models were better than two-dimensional ‘cut-outs’ and plastic models of birds were better than rag decoys. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F586https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F586Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:25:17 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Alter habitat to encourage birds to leave an areaA single before-and-after study in the USA found that an entire Caspian tern Sterna caspia population moved following (amongst other interventions) the alteration of nesting habitat at the old colony site. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F587https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F587Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:42:09 +0100