Fine spatial-scale variation in scavenger activity influences avian mortality assessments on a boreal island.

ABSTRACT: Bird-window collisions are the second leading cause of human-related avian mortality for songbirds in Canada. Our ability to accurately estimate the number of fatalities caused by window collisions is affected by several biases, including the removal of carcasses by scavengers prior to those carcasses being detected during surveys. We investigated the role of scavenger behavior in modifying perceived carcass removal rate while describing habitat-specific differences for the scavengers present in a relatively scavenger-depauperate island ecosystem. We used motion activated cameras to monitor the fate of hatchling chicken carcasses placed at building (under both windows and windowless walls) and forest (open and closed canopy) sites in western Newfoundland, Canada. We recorded the identity o

SUBMITTER: Clarke MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7241807 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature