The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation
Male common eiders Somateria mollissima in high-Arctic colonies are known to remain with females during the first weeks of incubation; a behaviour not found in eider colonies further south. Other studies have observed that, whilst adult eiders in northern latitudes experience less predation, there c...
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UiT Norges arktiske universitet
2017
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/11128 |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/11128 2023-05-15T15:13:00+02:00 The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation Bachell, Calum 2017-05-12 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/11128 eng eng UiT Norges arktiske universitet UiT The Arctic University of Norway https://hdl.handle.net/10037/11128 openAccess Copyright 2017 The Author(s) common eider nest predation predator defence parental effort Somateria mollissima Svalbard VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Landbruksfag: 910::Naturressursforvaltning: 914 VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Agriculture disciplines: 910::Management of natural resources: 914 BIO-3950 Master thesis Mastergradsoppgave 2017 ftunivtroemsoe 2021-06-25T17:55:17Z Male common eiders Somateria mollissima in high-Arctic colonies are known to remain with females during the first weeks of incubation; a behaviour not found in eider colonies further south. Other studies have observed that, whilst adult eiders in northern latitudes experience less predation, there can be much higher levels of predation on their nests and young. The objective of this study was to investigate why males at an eider colony in Svalbard were present for longer than elsewhere in their range, and whether this was related to protection from high predation levels. Through an observational study design, this study mapped population and predator dynamics within an eider colony near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. This study found that males were present for several weeks after the first females had started incubating, and once most males left the colony there was an increase in predation. Success of predators was higher at unattended nests; however overall success of predators was not found to be significantly lower if males were present in addition to females. If males were present at the nest, females were less likely to leave their nest to respond to gulls, allowing females to conserve energy and leave nests covered. The possibility that the tendency of males to remain with females for longer has emerged from asynchronous breeding or extra-pair mating is discussed, but the findings from this study indicate that it is a direct response to high levels of predation. Master Thesis Arctic Common Eider Longyearbyen Somateria mollissima Svalbard University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Arctic Svalbard Longyearbyen Protector ENVELOPE(-66.217,-66.217,-66.717,-66.717) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
common eider nest predation predator defence parental effort Somateria mollissima Svalbard VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Landbruksfag: 910::Naturressursforvaltning: 914 VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Agriculture disciplines: 910::Management of natural resources: 914 BIO-3950 |
spellingShingle |
common eider nest predation predator defence parental effort Somateria mollissima Svalbard VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Landbruksfag: 910::Naturressursforvaltning: 914 VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Agriculture disciplines: 910::Management of natural resources: 914 BIO-3950 Bachell, Calum The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
topic_facet |
common eider nest predation predator defence parental effort Somateria mollissima Svalbard VDP::Landbruks- og Fiskerifag: 900::Landbruksfag: 910::Naturressursforvaltning: 914 VDP::Agriculture and fishery disciplines: 900::Agriculture disciplines: 910::Management of natural resources: 914 BIO-3950 |
description |
Male common eiders Somateria mollissima in high-Arctic colonies are known to remain with females during the first weeks of incubation; a behaviour not found in eider colonies further south. Other studies have observed that, whilst adult eiders in northern latitudes experience less predation, there can be much higher levels of predation on their nests and young. The objective of this study was to investigate why males at an eider colony in Svalbard were present for longer than elsewhere in their range, and whether this was related to protection from high predation levels. Through an observational study design, this study mapped population and predator dynamics within an eider colony near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. This study found that males were present for several weeks after the first females had started incubating, and once most males left the colony there was an increase in predation. Success of predators was higher at unattended nests; however overall success of predators was not found to be significantly lower if males were present in addition to females. If males were present at the nest, females were less likely to leave their nest to respond to gulls, allowing females to conserve energy and leave nests covered. The possibility that the tendency of males to remain with females for longer has emerged from asynchronous breeding or extra-pair mating is discussed, but the findings from this study indicate that it is a direct response to high levels of predation. |
format |
Master Thesis |
author |
Bachell, Calum |
author_facet |
Bachell, Calum |
author_sort |
Bachell, Calum |
title |
The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
title_short |
The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
title_full |
The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
title_fullStr |
The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
title_full_unstemmed |
The role of the male common eider Somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
title_sort |
role of the male common eider somateria mollissima as a protector against nest-predation |
publisher |
UiT Norges arktiske universitet |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/11128 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-66.217,-66.217,-66.717,-66.717) |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard Longyearbyen Protector |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard Longyearbyen Protector |
genre |
Arctic Common Eider Longyearbyen Somateria mollissima Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Common Eider Longyearbyen Somateria mollissima Svalbard |
op_relation |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/11128 |
op_rights |
openAccess Copyright 2017 The Author(s) |
_version_ |
1766343600780607488 |