Annual Variation in the Benefits of a Nesting Association Between Red Phalaropes (Phalaropus Fulicarius) and Sabine's Gulls (Xema Sabini)

• Published in: The Auk
• Main Authors: Smith, Paul A., Gilchrist, H. Grant, Smith, James N. M., Nol, Erica
• Other Authors: Lank, D. B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2007
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Arctic; East Bay; Nunavut; Southampton Island; Alopex lagopus; Dicrostonyx torquatus; Phalaropus fulicarius; Sabine's Gull; Xema sabini
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/124.1.276; http://academic.oup.com/auk/article-pdf/124/1/276/29692024/auk276.pdf

Abstract By nesting near aggressive birds, timid species can reap the benefits of aggressive nest defense while avoiding the costs. Red Phalaropes (Phalaropus fulicarius; hereafter “phalaropes”) typically nest in grass-sedge marshes, but nests have also been noted in rocky coastal habitats. We studi...