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Bohacek, Mica, 2022. Common Guillemots Uria aalge Alter Trip Patterns During Breeding. First cycle, G2E. Uppsala: SLU, Dept. of Animal Environment and Health

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Abstract

Seabirds are facing immense pressures, primarily induced by competition with commercial fisheries; this is of considerable concern due to the critical role that they play in marine food webs and their invaluable function as bioindicators. In this thesis, I studied the temporal change in trip duration for the Common Guillemot Uria aalge, a circum-arctic seabird species. Pre-recorded video footage that focused on a group of guillemot pairs residing on the Swedish island of Stora Karlsö during the 2021 breeding season served as the basis for this study. Five pairs were observed from egg-laying in May to chick-fledging in July. I hypothesized that there would be distinct shifts in trip duration and frequency following egg hatching, compared to egg incubation. Moreover, I investigated the possible development of a Storer Ashmole’s Halo around the breeding colony; this would likely be evident due to an increase in trip duration as the season progressed and fish stocks near the colony progressively depleted. I found a significant increase in trip frequency following egg hatching. However, total time spent away from the nest did not appear to change; individual trips were, therefore, shorter once the chicks had hatched. The quantity of fish delivered to the chick fluctuated but did not show a clear correlation with chick age, or seasonal effects. Furthermore, the size of the fish delivered to the nest remained relatively stable throughout the breeding season. The results indicate that a Storer Ashmole’s Halo most likely does not develop around the Stora Karlsö breeding colony; however, more research surrounding the topic is ultimately needed. The data that I collected allows for the investigation of potential variations in feeding rates leading up to chick fledging.

Main title:Common Guillemots Uria aalge Alter Trip Patterns During Breeding
Authors:Bohacek, Mica
Supervisor:Carlsen, Astrid and Hentati Sundberg, Jonas
Examiner:Andersson, Maria
Series:UNSPECIFIED
Volume/Sequential designation:UNSPECIFIED
Year of Publication:2022
Level and depth descriptor:First cycle, G2E
Student's programme affiliation:NK001 Biology and Environmental Science - Bachelor's Programme, 180.0hp
Supervising department:(VH) > Dept. of Animal Environment and Health
Keywords:Common Murre, Stora Karlsö, trip duration, trip frequency, central-place foragers, feeding rate, time-budget
URN:NBN:urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-18728
Permanent URL:
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-s-18728
Subject. Use of subject categories until 2023-04-30.:Nature conservation and land resources
Language:English
Deposited On:04 Apr 2023 08:21
Metadata Last Modified:05 Apr 2023 01:00

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