Objective: create a safe environment for nesting, roosting and feeding shorebirds
Definitions:
● Disturbance = activity that causes an individual or group of shorebirds to alter their
normal behaviour, leading to additional energy expenditure by the birds.
Productivity and survival rates may also be reduced (Mengak & Dayer, 2020).
● Flight initiation distance = the distance at which birds take flight to avoid
perceived danger.
● Nesting = when birds lay eggs and protect their chicks.
● Roosting = when birds are resting, sleeping or preening, i.e. this is an energy-
saving behaviour.
● Shorebirds = birds of the order Charadriiformes; includes waders, gulls and terns
that use coastal habitats for feeding, roosting and/or nesting.
1. Description
Roosting, nesting and feeding are vulnerable behaviours, therefore shorebirds prefer sites that are safe from disturbance from humans or predators (Rogers et al. , 2006; Rosa et al. , 2006). Disturbing birds while they are roosting, nesting or feeding causes them to expend energy. For nesting birds, disturbance may result in periods in which the nest is unguarded, therefore leaving it vulnerable to predation and temperature change. This may cause hatchlings to fledge prematurely or drive recently fledged chicks into danger (e.g. away from parents, into the water or into sight of potential predators). Preventative measures can be used to encourage people to avoid areas where birds may be nesting, roosting and feeding. Disturbance by humans can be caused by cars, boats, aircraft, firearms, seafood collection, or simply by walking too close to shorebirds. In China, extensive collection of invertebrates by humans has been reported, with molluscs and shrimps being harvested at a rate of 100 – 150 kg/day (Melville 1997). Disturbance can also be caused by animals such as livestock (Sharps et al. , 2017), avian predators and domestic dogs. Note that some human presence may in fact be beneficial for coastal birds, acting as a predator deterrent. For example, in Sweden, the absence of tourists during COVID-19 lockdowns was associated with increased disturbance of breeding Common Murres Uria aalge by eagles, and consequently reduced productivity (Hentati-Sundberg et al. , 2021).
2. Evidence for effects on biodiversity
Birds : Closing paths and trails has increased reproductive success of Hooded Plovers Thinornis rubricollis (Dowling & Weston, 1999) and Snowy Plovers Charadrius nivosus
138
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online