The impacts of human recreational activities, habitat quality and weather conditions on the foraging behaviour and fledging success of breeding piping plovers (charadrius melodius)

Abstract

Many studies have found that shorebirds reduce the amount of time spent foraging in response to human recreational activity and have experienced lower reproductive success on beaches with human recreational activity. Nevertheless, a large part of these studies do not consider how other variables such as territory quality and meteorological conditions might also influence foraging and reproductive success. Therefore, the main objectives of this project were to investigate the influence of human recreational activity, habitat quality and meteorological conditions on piping plover ( Charadrius melodus ) foraging behaviour and fledging success. The proportion of time spent foraging was significantly positively correlated with overall invertebrate abundance (monthly mean of saturation zone and swash zone), air temperature and wind speed. In addition, invertebrate abundance and date were identified as significant predictors of piping plover foraging behaviour. Fledging success was negatively associated with hatching date and the proportion of open sand and was positively associated with the mean minimum daily temperature over the chick rearing period.