Spatial Variation in Pigeon Guillemot Foraging Patterns in Puget Sound
Presentation Abstract
I used stable isotope analysis to infer foraging patterns and marine habitat associations among Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus Columba) in Puget Sound, WA. I analyzed discarded eggshells collected by citizen science volunteers from below active Pigeon Guillemot burrows. Samples were collected from 23 colonies on Whidbey Island (within the Admiralty Inlet and Whidbey Basins) and in the Nisqually Reach region (within the South Basin) over a three-month period during the 2019 breeding season. Stable isotope analysis was then performed on the eggshells and eggshell membranes. I found a significant difference in the carbon to nitrogen ratios of the samples collected from Admiralty Inlet and Whidbey Basins versus the South Basin, indicating that the birds in these two basins derive their energy and nutrients from different sources. The data further suggest that birds breeding in the South Basin and in the Whidbey Basin fed at a higher trophic level than birds breeding in the Admiralty Inlet Basin. Isotopic signatures did not vary significantly among colonies within the same basin. These patterns suggest that Pigeon Guillemot foraging behavior in Puget Sound is variable and may reflect attributes of the basin in which the colonies are located.
Session Title
Trophic energy flow in the Salish Sea: Part III (Marine Birds)
Conference Track
Trophic Interactions - Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Salmon, Forage Fish & Invasive Species
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2020 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
2020_abstractID_3138
Start Date
21-4-2020 9:00 AM
End Date
22-4-2020 4:45 PM
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Pigeon guillemot--Food--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Pigeon guillemot--Habitat--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Sea birds--Behavior--Washington (Wash.)--Puget Sound; Sea birds--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Spatial Variation in Pigeon Guillemot Foraging Patterns in Puget Sound
I used stable isotope analysis to infer foraging patterns and marine habitat associations among Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus Columba) in Puget Sound, WA. I analyzed discarded eggshells collected by citizen science volunteers from below active Pigeon Guillemot burrows. Samples were collected from 23 colonies on Whidbey Island (within the Admiralty Inlet and Whidbey Basins) and in the Nisqually Reach region (within the South Basin) over a three-month period during the 2019 breeding season. Stable isotope analysis was then performed on the eggshells and eggshell membranes. I found a significant difference in the carbon to nitrogen ratios of the samples collected from Admiralty Inlet and Whidbey Basins versus the South Basin, indicating that the birds in these two basins derive their energy and nutrients from different sources. The data further suggest that birds breeding in the South Basin and in the Whidbey Basin fed at a higher trophic level than birds breeding in the Admiralty Inlet Basin. Isotopic signatures did not vary significantly among colonies within the same basin. These patterns suggest that Pigeon Guillemot foraging behavior in Puget Sound is variable and may reflect attributes of the basin in which the colonies are located.
