Abstract
Simulated social facilitation techniques (e.g. decoys and call playbacks) are commonly used to attract seabirds to restored and artificially created nesting habitats. However, a lack of social stimuli and conspecific cueing at these habitats may limit the use of these sites, at least in the short term. Therefore, testing the effectiveness of simulated audio-visual cues for attracting gregarious birds is important for conservation planning. In this study, we (1) assessed whether call playback and decoys were associated with an increased likelihood of Australian fairy terns Sternula nereis nereis visiting potentially suitable nesting habitats; (2) tested their behavioral response to different cues; and (3) documented whether social facilitation had the potential to encourage colony establishment. A full cross-over study design consisting of all possible pairings of decoy and call playback treatments (control [no attractants], decoys, call playback, both decoys and playback), allocated as part of a random block design, was undertaken at 2 sites. Linear modeling suggested that call playback was important in explaining the time spent aerial prospecting as well as the maximum number of fairy terns aerial prospecting, although this only appeared to be the case for 1 of the 2 sites. Decoys, on the other hand, did not appear to have any effect on time spent aerial prospecting. The results from this study suggest that audio cues have the potential to encourage site selection by increasing social stimuli, but attractants may be required over several breeding seasons before colonies are established.
Highlights
Coastal systems, with their complex mosaic of shallow-water habitats and shorelines of varying geomorphology, support rich floral and faunal communities worldwide and are important breeding and feeding sites for an array of birds
Fairy terns began aerial prospecting at both sites within 20 min of the first call playback treatments, and at Mandurah, terns began landing within 60 min
While settling decisions by prospecting fairy terns varied between the 2 study sites, the audio-visual cues elicited a strong behavioral response at previously unused areas and resulted in egg laying at Mandurah
Summary
With their complex mosaic of shallow-water habitats and shorelines of varying geomorphology, support rich floral and faunal communities worldwide and are important breeding and feeding sites for an array of birds. Given the potential for colony- and nest-site selection to affect individual fitness, birds use complex strategies to select breeding sites, including environmental and social cues (Cody 1985). Social facilitation (i.e. where the behavior of one individual increases the probability of other animals engaging in that same behavior) at colony sites is often used to assess habitat quality and an individual’s chance of reproductive success, these being proximate cues for nest site selection (Gochfeld 1980, Boulinier et al 1996, Kress 1997, Danchin et al 1998). Social facilitation behavior may be especially important among coastal gulls and terns, which are known to periodically shift colony sites between breeding attempts (Dunlop 1987, Gochfeld & Burger 1992, Dunlop & Greenwell 2021)
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