Common Murre ( Uria aalge) attendance patterns at Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Piatt, John F., McLagan, Ruth L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1987
• Subjects: Common Murre; Newfoundland; Uria aalge; uria
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z87-236; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z87-236

Attendance patterns of common murres (Uria aalge) at Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland, were observed during hatching to post-fledging periods of 1980 to 1984. Six study plots on breeding ledges (ca. 450 birds total) and a "club" on the water were monitored for seasonal fluctuations in numbers attending. Attendance on ledges was similar between years, being relatively stable from hatching through to median fledging, and declining steadily thereafter. Attendance at the club usually peaked between median hatching and fledging, then declined rapidly during the fledging period. Numbers of murres attending neighboring study plots were often significantly correlated, but correlations were much weaker between distant plots. There were few significant correlations between attendance and wind speed or tidal oscillations in any year of study. Numbers of murres attending individual study plots varied significantly between years; four declined, one increased, and one showed no significant change. Overall, there was a small decline in total numbers of murres attending all study plots between 1980 and 1984.