1. MSc Candidate, Gabrielle Beaulieu Dalhousie University
A Bird’s Eye View: Investigating Piping Plover Predation, Associated Behaviours and Management Techniques.
MSc Candidate, Gabrielle Beaulieu
Dalhousie University

2. Project Context
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus melodus) is a small shorebird endemic to North America and Listed as Endangered by COSEWIC since 1985
Recovery across all regions is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance (e.g. recreation on beaches) and predation
Extensive monitoring of productivity and predation events in National Parks
Until now, predator identification has been mainly anecdotal and difficult to confirm indefinitely
Recent studies suggest a link between the use of a predator management tool (nest exclosure), nest abandonment and predation

3. Project Overview
Overall goal: Determine impact of predators on Piping Plover reproductive success and parental behaviour, and to test effectiveness of current management tools.
Identify predators using video
Compare reproductive success at exclosed/ non-exclosed
Compare behaviours at exclosed/ non-exclosed
Do nest exclosures attract predators?

4. Project Overview
Conducting field work in Kouchibouguac and PEI National Parks during 2010 and 2011
Piping Plover breeding season begins late April and the adults and fledged chicks migrate south from mid-July until late August
Field season from May 1st until August 30th
Majority of work involves searching for nests and observing breeding pairs during nest incubation
Year-end productivity is a count of the number of fledglings per breeding pair, making for a long field season

5. Pilot data – 2008, 2009 Events Captured :
Video Monitored Piping Plover Nests in National Parks– 2008, 2009 n
Kejimkujik NP
Kouchibouguac NP
PEI NP
2008 6 1 4
2009 8 3 5
Footage (hrs)
~ 350
~ 1200
~ 1600
Events Captured :
Predation and harassment by fox (n=2, 3)
Predation and harassment by crow ( n =3, 17)
Harassment by gull (n = 1)
Avian predators perching on exclosures (n= 3)

6. Preliminary Results - Identify predators
Nest
Hours Watched
Predator
Corvid fly
Corvid walk
Gull Fly
Gull walk
Fox
Coyote
Raccoon
Other (tern, bird)
CavS1 56  2 1 CP 76 2*
GR1 87
35 tern
GR3
122
2 tern +2 mouse
Total
341 2  3 39
* This nest was predated the day it was due to hatch, only video identified the predator as a crow
A total of ~1200 hours of nest video footage was collected in 2010 in Kouchibouguac and PEI National Parks
From 340 transcribed hours: 1 predation event, 5 predator sightings, 37 tern disturbances
Still about 678 hours to go through with the help of dedicated volunteers

7. Preliminary Results - Identify predators
KN7: 259 hours of video footage
(July 8-19, 2010)
25 reactions, 3 displays and 22 departures
Fig 1. Number of animal sightings from video footage of a Piping Plover nest
This particular nest illustrated how the dune edge serves as a travel corridor
Surprisingly, even with all the animal traffic, this non-exclosed nest hatched

8. Preliminary Results – Reprod. Success
A total of 21 nests in 2010 were initiated
Of those, 13 nests hatched, two were abandoned, three were flooded and two were depredated
One predation event occurred in PEI and was captured on video
Table 1. Reproductive success of Piping Plovers in Kouchibouguac and PEI National Parks during 2010
* The ‘half’ values refer to a nest that was flooded, and its re-nest included two eggs that had been flooded; two chicks hatched

9. Preliminary Results – Plover Behaviour
In addition to video data, I am conducting 30 minute focal observations of incubating parents (n = 17 nests 2010)
I am recording a measure of alertness, or vigilance, as the number of scans/minute of an incubating adult
I also record the number of times a plover is away from a nest and the number of movements it does while incubating
When monitoring nesting Piping Plovers, they are literally invisible until they move, it is thought that visual predators cue in on this
Their level of alertness (vigilance) should vary according to their level of stress or exposure to predators

10. Preliminary Results – Plover Behaviour
Welch’s two-sample t-tests were used to determine whether the behaviour of incubating Piping Plovers differs between exclosed and unexclosed nests
Small sample size n = 9 exclosed, n = 8 non-exclosed
a- posteriori Power analysis conducted
Table 2. Two-sample t-test outputs for behaviour measurements comparing exclosed and unexclosed nests

11. Preliminary Results – Plover Behaviour
Fig 2. Changes in Piping Plover vigilance during focal observations of one incubating adult
Vigilance seems to vary with time and sometimes changes in response to the presence of potential predators
Only 5 of the n = 17 nests observed changed their behaviour in response to the presence of potential predators

12. Preliminary Results – Exclosure as Cue
Artificial nest experiment 2011 season
Do exclosures act as a cue to predators when searching for food (nests)?
Determine whether exclosed nests are visited more frequently and by a greater variety of predators than non-exclosed nests
A total of 40 artificial nests, half exclosed
Will use motion detection cameras to identify predators and time of ‘predation’ as well as track surveys
June 15th – 30th simultaneously at both field sites

13. What does it all mean?
We have confirmed that foxes and crows predate Piping Plover nests
Both foxes and crows will empty a nest of eggs and carry away eggs one after the other over a period of several minutes to over a few hours
Some predators use nest exclosures to perch on
Plovers will elicit anti-predator behaviours towards a large variety of animals
Travel corridor along dune edge, greater risk to these nests
Thus far, plover behaviour does not seem to differ between exclosed and unexclosed nests
Vigilance varies greatly over time and between individuals
Some individuals seem more sensitive (in terms of vigilance) to the presence of predators than others

14. What does it all mean?
Nest exclosure design has been modified within Parks
Predator survey protocols are being implemented by all plover monitoring groups in 2011
Public education and volunteer engagement has been key to continued research and modifying protocols
Increased sample size and further
statistical analyses are required to
answer research questions

15. Acknowledgements
Dr. Marty Leonard Dr. Deborah Austin Piping Plover Resource Conservation Teams in Kejimkujik, Kouchbouguac and PEI National Parks Piping Plover Camera Project Volunteers
Funding:
Parks Canada
Canadian Wildlife Service
Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition
Tim Horton Children’s Foundation