Reactions of ground-nesting marine birds to human disturbance in the Canadian Arctic

Abstract

I studied the reactions of five ground-nesting marine bird species (Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), Sabine’s gull (Xema sabini), common eider (Somateria mollissima), long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), and Ross’ gull (Rhodostethia rosea)) breeding in the low and high Arctic to disturbance from nearby aircraft as well as avian flight initiation response to humans approaching on foot. All species except nesting long-tailed ducks and common eiders departed their nest when overhead aircraft were within 200 m, with loafing birds often flying off when aircraft were still 1 km away. There was considerable individual and species-specific variation in responses to approaching humans, with some nesting birds not flushing from their nest until touched by a researcher (e.g., waterfowl, 0 m), while others flushed when people were 400 m away (Ross’s gull). Excluding Ross’s gulls, 95% of the individuals of most species did not initiate flight until humans were ≤100 m from the nest, suggesting that this might represent a minimum, suitable “buffer zone” around nesting colonies for nonmotorized human activities.