Testing red paint as a deterrent to Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) on roads : a case study in Bolungarvík, Iceland

• Main Author: Umlah, Kelly, 1996-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn á Akureyri
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Meistaraprófsritgerðir; Háskólasetur Vestfjarða; Haf- og strandsvæðastjórnun; Kría; Umferðarslys; Hreiðurgerð; Fuglavernd; Coastal and marine management; Arctic tern; Roadkill; University Centre of the Westfjords; Arctic; Haf; Bolungarvík; Hreiður; Iceland; Sterna paradisaea
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/34027

As human development increases, the threat of fatal interactions between vehicles and animals on roads will likely increase. Both young and adult Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) nesting near roads, as is common in Iceland, are at considerable risk of death by collision. This study tests the effectiveness of a visual deterrent, red painted road surfaces, in keeping Arctic terns off of roads in a case study in Bolungarvík, Iceland. Population data on the study colony was sampled during an on-foot nest survey. Dead terns on the road were counted on thrice daily roadkill surveys. The number of terns sitting on the road, whether or not they sat on the painted sections, the outside temperature, weather, time of day, and presence of predators were all recorded during the thrice daily observational periods. The colony was found to be comprised of 4 950 adult terns, breeding at a density of 0.07-0.14 nests/m2. As only six dead terns were found during roadkill surveys, no analysis could be done on the data. However, the observations found that significantly fewer terns sat on the painted sections of the road than the unpainted sections (p=0.007). The effects of outside temperature (p=0.434), weather (p=0.866), time of day (p=0.883), and presence of predators (p=0.529) on the number of terns sitting on each section were insignificant. The results imply that red paint may be an effective deterrent to Arctic terns on roads. Although further research is required to affirm this method’s effectiveness, the implication of red painted roads, especially in combination with other effective management strategies, would most likely be successful in mitigating bird roadkills on Icelandic roads. Samfara vaxandi umsvifum mannsins aukast líkur á að dýr láti lífið í árekstum við farartæki á vegum. Þar sem Kría (Sterna Paradisaea) gerir sér hreiður nálægt akvegum, eins og víða má sjá á Íslandi, er töluverð hætta á að bæði fullorðnar kríur og ungar þeirra drepist í árekstum við bíla. Í þessari rannsókn var gerð tilraun til að fæla kríur ...