Measuring nocturnal seabird activity and status using acoustic recording

Published source details Buxton R.T. & Jones I.L. (2012) Measuring nocturnal seabird activity and status using acoustic recording. Journal of Field Ornithology, 83, 47-60.
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Summary

Control mammalian predators on islands for seabirds

A replicated, controlled study in 2011–2013 on four islands in the Aleutian Archipelago, Alaska, USA (Buxton et al. 2012) found that on islands where the introduced Artic fox Alopex lagopus had been eradicated, the abundance of two nesting petrel species increased over time but remained lower than on a nearby island where foxes had never been introduced. Fork-tailed storm petrel Oceanodroma furcata and Leach’s storm petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa were both much less abundant on islands where foxes had been eradicated 9–19 years previously than on Buldir Island, where foxes had never been introduced (276 average calls/night). Bird abundance significantly increased with time since eradication.For example, Leach’s storm petrel calls were 49 times and fork-tailed storm petrel calls 73 times more abundant on Amatignak (19 years since fox eradication) than Little Sitkin island (9 years since fox eradication). Seabird abundance was quantified using used autonomous digital recording devices (Song Meters; 1–4 meters/island) recording overnight in May–August 2008–2009 (total 845 nights of recordings). Foxes were eradicated on three islands in 1975, 1991 and 2000 and had never been introduced to the fourth island.

A replicated, controlled study in 2011–2013 on four islands in the Aleutian Archipelago, Alaska, USA (5) found that ancient murrelets Synthliboramphus antiquus colonized two of three islands where the introduced Artic fox Alopex lagopus had been eradicated, but that their abundance remained lower than on a nearby island where foxes had never been introduced. Murrelets were present on Amatignak and Nizki-Alaid Islands (foxes eradicated ≥17 years previously) but not on Little Sitkin Island (foxes eradicated ≤8 years previously). Murrelets were less abundant on the islands where foxes had been eradicated than on Buldir Island, where foxes had never been introduced (276 average calls/night). Seabird abundance was quantified using used autonomous digital recording devices (Song Meters; 1–4 meters/island) recording overnight in May–August 2008–2009 (total 845 nights of recordings). Foxes were eradicated on three islands in 1975, 1991 and 2000 and had never been introduced to the fourth island.