Unravelling urban nesting site selection in an opportunistic gull : an integrated analysis of micro-spatial habitat and litter quantification
Martín-Vélez, Víctor (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Domingo, J. (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Cardador, Laura (Universitat de Barcelona)
Montalvo Porro, Tomas (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Navarro, Joan (Institut de Ciències del Mar)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2024
Abstract:	The proliferation of gull populations in urban areas has led to an increase in human-gull conflicts, especially in highly populated cities where these opportunistic predators are often considered a nuisance. There is a lack of data regarding the selection of nesting sites by gulls, so management measures at nesting level cannot be implemented. Here, we investigated the main environmental factors that explain the nesting preferences of the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) in urban areas, using the population in the city of Barcelona (NE Spain) as study model. We conducted an integrated analysis that combines micro-scale habitat selection assessments of 148 urban nesting sites with a macro-scale assessment of gull movements derived from GPS tracking of breeding yellow-legged gulls. We also analysed the type and abundance of litter in nests and main factors related to this. Nests were mainly found on flat roofs or above a structure on the main roof located at corner placements and situated on gravel substrate. Nest selection showed a negative relation to port distance and a building height beyond 12 m. The presence of litter was detected in more than 80% nests and was related to population density. Understanding the ecology of yellow-legged gulls in urban areas has implications for urban population management to prevent nest establishment.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	European Journal of Wildlife Research, Vol. 70 Núm. 4 (august 2024) , p. 69, ISSN 1439-0574

DOI: 10.1007/s10344-024-01822-2

11 p, 2.3 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles