Results from the first GPS tracking of roof-nesting Herring Gulls Larus argentatus in the UK

摘要: Recent developments in GPS tracking technology allow the movements of bird species to be followed ever-greater detail. Seabird research is benefiting greatly, due challenges that often roam widely out at sea. Amongst gulls, one pressing issues understand ecology relatively recent urban colonists and how they differ from their counterparts traditional rural colonies. Here, we present what believe are first results roof-nesting gulls. Four adult Herring Gulls (two males, two females) were fitted with tags May 2014 seaside town St Ives, Cornwall (breeding colony c 250 pairs), tracked for 100 days during breeding season. We estimated home ranges four individuals movement behaviour varied through 24-h period across The highlight variable was among individuals: whilst roamed (90% range estimate = 560 km2), heading >50 km offshore active night or roosting sea, birds had small (<10 always attended rarely headed more than a few hundred metres offshore, fourth displaying intermediate behaviour. All regularly utilised key sites within agricultural landscape south Ives. Whilst this study too general conclusions drawn about Gulls, it reinforces individual can amongst large gulls will particularly interesting when applied larger sample birds, especially big gull colonies further inland.