Human recreation alters behaviour profiles of non-breeding birds on open-coast sandy shores

摘要: Abstract Sandy beaches are primarily valued for their amenity and property values rather than ecological functions properties. Some human usage of potentially conflicts with the conservation management wildlife, such as beach-dwelling birds, on sandy shorelines. Because responses by birds to environmental change, including disturbance humans, often involve behaviours that carry fitness costs, we quantify behaviour profiles in relation occurrence along 200 km shoreline Eastern Australia, large area Fraser Island. Disturbance these shores was considerable: 1) encountered motorized vehicles (cars, trucks, buses etc.) during 80% focal bird observation bouts, 2) were flushed over half (up 86% individual species) all 3) individuals spent, average, one-third time disturbance-related behaviours; this particularly prevalent Crested Terns ( Thalasseus bergii ) which alert 42% spent 12% escaping from stimuli. Overall, study demonstrated traffic is prime agent beaches, resulting frequent time-consuming escape behaviours. These findings also emphasize vehicle-based recreation needs be re-aligned meet requirements addition providing leisure opportunities National Parks beyond; identify some salient issue development: a) encouragement social norms promote environmentally benign beach use not involving motor vehicles, b) creation spatial refuges wildlife other non-compatible uses, c) investment developing complementary actions effective set-back distances.