Abstract
Dogs Canis familiaris have been domesticated for over 11,000 years and have been trained to perform a vast array of tasks. Scent dogs are routinely used to detect elusive animals of conservation concern as well as the presence of invasive nonnative predators. However, a recent review of studies on scent dogs for nature conservation found few peer-reviewed papers on detection of seabirds, and we suggest the potential of scent dogs for seabird monitoring is currently under-utilised. To stimulate wider consideration of the use of scent dogs for seabird monitoring we: (i) document the training, testing and performance of a one-year old Golden Retriever, to detect scent from European Storm Petrels Hydrobates pelagicus, and to differentiate between scent of European Storm Petrels and Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus, and (ii) report on the field performance of a 12-year old Border Collie to detect Manx Shearwaters breeding in natural nest burrows and artificial nest boxes. We show that these individual dogs had a high success rate in locating hidden seabird targets by scent in experimental and field settings and we highlight some of the set-backs encountered during the training process, and their solutions. We show that the detection of occupied Manx Shearwater burrows is dependent on their depth and recent history of occupation. Our results highlight the potential value of scent dogs to establish the presence of particular seabird species at sites where breeding status is currently uncertain, and to map the extent of occupied areas. Further work is needed to validate the use of scent dogs to determine seabird breeding density in real-world situations, where detection probability may be influenced by nest site characteristics and breeding density. We stress the need to involve professionals in the selection, training and testing of scent dogs.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.