Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/y26kecgpp9
Factors affecting nest attendance in Common Terns
Matija Vodopija
; Association Biom, Zagreb, Croatia
Željko Pavlinec
orcid.org/0000-0001-7128-4280
; Aquarium Pula, Pula, Croatia
Jelena Kralj
orcid.org/0000-0002-1500-5897
; Institute of Ornithology, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The Common Tern Sterna hirundo nests colonially in both marine
and freshwater habitats with incubation and chick rearing being shared
parental responsibilities. To research the dynamics of incubation behaviour
in this species, a series of camera trap photographs taken between
May 2021 and May 2023 were collected from three different colonies,
one from marine and two from freshwater habitats. Photographs of
seven nests were sorted into three states (incubating, near and absent)
for which the state duration per day, the state duration until the change
and the number of state changes were calculated. Incubation duration
differed significantly among nests from the same and different habitats.
Individuals on freshwater colonies spent a significantly longer time incubating,
while birds from the marine habitat spent a longer time absent
from nests, both of which can be related to more predictable prey availability
at freshwater sites. Additional factors affecting incubation activity
for this species are discussed.
Keywords
Sterna hirundo; marine habitat; freshwater habitat; camera traps; daily dynamic; incubation; foraging
Hrčak ID:
323307
URI
Publication date:
10.12.2024.
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