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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns Sterna Hirundo
Published on: July 22, 2018
The effect of localized disturbance on the acoustic behavior of the common tern (Sterna hirundo)
J E Brosseau1, V M Eddington1,2, E C Craig1,3
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA.
Abstract:
In this study, passive acoustic monitoring was used to assess the impact of investigator disturbance on the acoustic behavior of a colony of common terns. A graded antipredator response in the colony was hypothesized, which would result in an increase in acoustic energy with increased proximity to investigator disturbance. Human disturbance was found to result in a significant increase in acoustic energy within 20 meters of recorders, though not from farther distances. Our findings provide a framework for assessing the behavioral impact of disturbance on colonies and support the existence of a graded alarm call system in common terns.
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