Behavioural plasticity in nest-site selection of a colonial seabird in response to an invasive carnivore

Abstract

Non-native invasive species are one of the most serious threats to biodiversity and are considered the leading cause of extinction of several bird taxa, including seabirds. Introduced American mink (Neovison vison) have caused devastating effects on island populations of several colonial seabird species. In this study, we investigated the direct and indirect effects of mink on population dynamics and reproductive success of European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) breeding at Illas Cies, one of the most important colonies of the species in Southern Europe. A severe episode of mink predation on adult shags occurred in the year when mink arrived in the breeding colonies, though the number of shags killed dropped abruptly in subsequent years. We found that, after the arrival of mink, shags moved to nest-sites that afforded greater protection from carnivores. This shift caused a substantial reduction in mortality by predation, but probably entailed a cost in terms of their reproductive success because sites with lower levels of predation risk showed a higher risk of egg loss by nest flooding due to poorer drainage. Our study highlights that behavioural plasticity may allow shags to cope with invasive predators.