Monitoring and managing recovery of nocturnal burrow-nesting seabird populations on recently predator-eradicated Aleutian Islands

• Main Author: Buxton, Rachel T. (Rachel Thérèse), 1985-
• Other Authors: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Biology
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Birdsongs > Recording and reproducing > Alaska > Aleutian Islands; Sea birds > Conservation > Alaska > Aleutian Islands; Sea birds > Monitoring > Alaska > Aleutian Islands; Wildlife recovery > Alaska > Aleutian Islands; Newfoundland studies; Alaska; Aleutian Islands; University of Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/75419

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2010. Biology Includes bibliographical references (leaves 145-168) Few quantitative data exist measuring nocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds that were heavily affected by predator introductions in the Aleutian Islands, due to challenges associated with monitoring. I evaluated the feasibility of using automated recording and recognition of call activity as a way to examine restoration. I assessed recording quality and call recognition rate in the windy Aleutian environment, characteristic of remote seabird breeding islands. With only 3% of nights unusable due to wind noise, devices were extremely robust. I used this method to inventory call activity across the western Aleutian Islands and relate patterns to recovery rate. I found that nocturnal seabird activity is positively related to time since eradication, however a number of other factors render recovery rate complicated. In order to encourage re-colonization I performed a series of social attraction experiments. Continued acoustic monitoring and artificial attraction are required to promote population recovery throughout the Aleutian chain.