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The diet of Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellisatlantis) at an oceanic seabird colony: estimating predatory impact upon breeding petrels

dc.contributor.authorMatias, Rafael
dc.contributor.authorCatry, Paulo
dc.date.accessioned2013-10-01T19:21:09Z
dc.date.available2013-10-01T19:21:09Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.description.abstractThe diet and breeding ecology of Yellowlegged Gulls (Larus michahellis atlantis) were studied on Selvagem Grande, North Atlantic in the nesting season of 2007. We collected and analyzed 715 pellets from adults. The most frequent prey were White-faced Stormpetrels (Pelagodroma marina; present on 40.8% of all pellets) and the endemic land snails (Theba macandrewiana; present on 36.5% of all pellets). Other birds, namely Cory’s Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea), Macaronesian Shearwaters (Puffinus assimilis), Bulwer’s Petrels (Bulweria bulwerii), and Band-rumped Storm-petrels (Oceanodroma castro) were relatively less frequent, but overall, seabirds were present in ca. 50% of all pellets, representing an estimated 60.4% of all mass consumed by gulls. We estimate that the contribution of seabirds to the overall caloric balance accounted for 82.5% of all energy consumed. The number of gull pairs breeding on Selvagem Grande was 12 on 2005 and 2007. Breeding success was low (0.92 and 0.25 juveniles per breeding pair, respectively). Us ing a simple bioenergetics model, we estimate the breeding gull population to have the potential to consume approximately 4,847 adult/sub-adult seabirds in 3.5 months in order to meet its energetic requirements. The importance of the estimated predation levels is discussed and some management actions are suggested.por
dc.identifier.citationEuropean Journal of Wildlife Research, 56, 861-869por
dc.identifier.issn1439-0574
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/2402
dc.language.isoengpor
dc.peerreviewedyespor
dc.publisherSpringer-Verlagpor
dc.subjectPredationpor
dc.subjectSelvagenspor
dc.subjectPelagodromapor
dc.subjectCalonectrispor
dc.subjectBioenergeticspor
dc.titleThe diet of Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellisatlantis) at an oceanic seabird colony: estimating predatory impact upon breeding petrelspor
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.conferencePlaceBerlinpor
oaire.citation.endPage869por
oaire.citation.startPage861por
oaire.citation.titleEuropean Journal of Wildlife Researchpor
oaire.citation.volume56por
rcaap.rightsrestrictedAccesspor
rcaap.typearticlepor

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