Kleptoparasitism in gulls Laridae at an urban and a coastal foraging environment: an assessment of ecological predictors

Autor: Benjamin Dickins, Yvan I. Russell, Robert Spencer, Thomas E. Dickins
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Bird Study. 64:12-19
ISSN: 1944-6705
0006-3657
DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2016.1249821
Popis: Capsule: Kleptoparasitism in gulls occurred at a greater rate at an urban compared with a coastal site. Population density and prey size predicted the rate of kleptoparasitism at the urban site.Aims: To investigate and assess the ecological variables associated with kleptoparasitism among gulls at urban and rural sites.Methods: Field observations were conducted at Brancaster (coastal rural) and Billingsgate Market (urban) to examine differences in the rate of kleptoparasitism in mixed-species flocks of gulls. Four key variables (prey size, population density, season and species) were assessed as predictors of kleptoparasitism.Results: Generalized linear models revealed significant effects on kleptoparasitism rate of site, population density and prey size, and two-way interactions between these main terms. Population density and prey size differed significantly between sites, but population density appeared to predict the rate of kleptoparasitism.Conclusion: Kleptoparasitism may well aid invasion a...
Databáze: OpenAIRE