624 S.I. Wilhelm, J.J. Schau, E. Schau, S.M. Dooley, D.L. Wiseman, and H.A. Hogan 22001133 NORTNHorEthAeSaTsEteRrNn NNaAtTuUraRliAstLIST 2V0(o4l). :2602,4 N–6o3. 04 Atlantic Puffins are Attracted to Coastal Communities in Eastern Newfoundland Sabina I. Wilhelm1,*, Juergen J. Schau2, Elfie Schau2, Suzanne M. Dooley3, Dena L. Wiseman4, and Holly A. Hogan5 Abstract - The Puffin Patrol is a volunteer-based group that rescues fledgling Fratercula arctica (Atlantic Puffin) stranded in coastal communities overlooking the Witless Bay Seabird Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland, Canada, which hosts the two largest Atlantic Puffin colonies in North America. We examine local environmental factors (visibility, moon phase) that may influence light attraction in Atlantic Puffins and explore the use of weight data and other information collected through this volunteer-based initiative to help monitor the health of this important population. In 2011, only 13 live Atlantic Puffins were captured despite nightly search efforts throughout the fledging period; this low capture rate was attributed to poor breeding success at the colony. In contrast, in 2012, 414 live fledgling puffins were captured and successfully released between 6 August and 5 September; 388 of these were banded and weighed prior to release. Capture rates on nights with poor visibility due to fog (26 fledglings per night) were similar to fogless nights (24 fledglings per night). Most live Atlantic Puffins were captured within a two-week period around the new moon. Fledglings weighed 248 ± 25 (SD) g, range = 160–315 g; weights significantly declined over the fledging period. In addition to the direct conservation benefits of saving grounded Atlantic Puffins, information collected through this volunteer-based initiative 1) provides insight on factors affecting Atlantic Puffins’ attraction to coastal communities, 2) shows the importance of mitigating artificial light during the birds’ fledging period within these developing communities, and 3) helps collect important demographic information without causing additional disturbance to the colonies. Introduction Fledglings of burrow-nesting seabirds typically leave the shelter of their burrow in the dark and make their way immediately to the open ocean to avoid being attacked by diurnal avian predators. If breeding colonies are close to lighthouses, coastal communities, and other sources of human light and noise pollution, fledglings can become disoriented and move in the direction of these artificial stimuli rather than offshore (Harris 1982, Harris et al. 1998, Miles et al. 2010, Reed et al. 1985, Telfer et al. 1987). When grounded, these wayward birds experience a high risk of injury or death from collisions with human structures and vehicles, predation by cats, and other dangers (Miles et al. 2010, Podolsky et al. 1998, Reed et al. 1Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 4T3 Canada. 2Puffin Patrol, 84 Bears Cove Road, Witless Bay, NL AOA 4KO Canada. 3Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter, 342 Freshwater Road, Lower Level, PO Box 8732, St. John’s, NL A1B 3T1 Canada. 4Puffin Patrol, PO Box 111, Witless Bay, NL A0A 4K0 Canada. 5Parks and Natural Areas Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, 407 Southern Shore Highway, Witless Bay, NL A0A 4K0 Canada. *Corresponding author - sabina.wilhelm@ec.gc.ca. Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, No. 4 S.I. Wilhelm, J.J. Schau, E. Schau, S.M. Dooley, D.L. Wiseman, and H.A. Hogan 2013 625 1985, Rodriguez and Rodriguez 2009, Telfer et al. 1987). This phenomenon occurs annually along the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, Canada, within communities overlooking the Witless Bay Islands Seabird Ecological Reserve, which hosts important Alcid colonies including the two largest Fratercula arctica L. (Atlantic Puffin) colonies in North America (Great Island: ≈175,000 pairs, Gull Island: ≈150,000 pairs; S.I. Wihelm, unpubl. data). In 2006, two local summer residents (J. Schau and E. Schau), who were distressed at the sight of dead fledgling Atlantic Puffins on their community’s roadsides, began patrolling the streets at night, capturing live birds and releasing them the following morning on a nearby coastal beach. Other residents soon became involved and the initiative became known as the Puffin Patrol, which now includes a campaign encouraging local residents and businesses to turn off unecessary lights during the Atlantic Puffins’ fledging period from early August to early September. In 2011, the Puffin Patrol partnered with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter, to facilitate the coordination and scheduling of numerous volunteers who now come flocking from all parts of the world (CPAWS 2012). Since 2011, we have recorded the number of Atlantic Puffins recovered during nightly searches, allowing us to examine environmental conditions, such as weather and moon phase, that may contribute to the variation in the number of fledging Atlantic Puffins that were collected during nightly searches. We also report summary statistics and results from a linear regression of weight data collected from the fledglings in 2012, and discuss the value of this information as a low-disturbance approach for monitoring seabird population-health. Material and Methods Volunteers conducted nightly searches in the communities of Witless Bay, Mobile, Tors Cove, Burnt Cove, St. Michael’s and Bauline East (Fig. 1) between 9 pm and 2 am, either by car or on foot with a flashlight. There were approximately 50 volunteers in 2011 and 2012, with 20–25 volunteers searching the streets in shifts on any given night. Live Atlantic Puffins were captured with a butterfly net and were held overnight in a ventilated cardboard box or plastic cage. During the fledging period in 2011, only 13 fledgling Atlantic Puffins were captured and an additional 10 dead fledglings were found between 7 and 29 August. In 2012, 417 fledgling Atlantic Puffins were captured between 6 August and 5 September (Fig. 2); nightly searches continued beyond this date but no additional fledglings were found. A total of 414 fledgling Atlantic Puffins were released following capture (three had suffered injuries: one succumbed to injuries, and the other two were euthanized). Prior to release, 388 were banded with a metal US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) band and weighed with a 1000-g (± 10 g) Pesola spring scale. None of the banded birds was encountered again, which suggests that released puffins successfully found their way offshore. In 2012, an additional 82 dead fledglings were encountered throughout the fledging period during nightly patrols. Because we captured so few live Atlantic Puffins in 2011, only data collected in 2012 were further described and analyzed using SigmaStat software (Jandel Scientific, San Rafael, CA). Values are reported as means ± 1 SD unless otherwise noted. 626 S.I. Wilhelm, J.J. Schau, E. Schau, S.M. Dooley, D.L. Wiseman, and H.A. Hogan 2013 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, No. 4 Results and Discussion In 2012, 97% of fledglings were captured between 6 and 21 August and the highest count occurred on 12 August (62 fledglings; Fig. 2). Members of the Puffin Patrol noticed that they tended to find more birds on nights when visibility was poor due to fog—conditions which have been linked to increased light attraction in Atlantic Puffins and other birds (Harris 1982, Verheijen 1981). To further examine this relationship, we obtained hourly visibility data from Environment Canada’s National Climate Data and Information Archive (www.climate.weatheroffice. gc.ca) for St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, located 30 km north of Witless Bay. These closely matched the qualitative visibility observations occasionally recorded by the Puffin Patrol. We compared counts of live Atlantic Puffins on nights with poor visibility (defined as visibility less than 10 km, 26 ± 20 birds/night, n = 7 nights) to nights with good visibility (defined as visibility ≥10 km, 24 ± 10 birds/night, n = 9 nights) during the peak capture period (6–21 August) but found no significant difference (t-test = -0.253, df = 14, P = 0.804). The phase of the moon has been shown to affect light attraction of nocturnal birds, with the presence of the full moon dramatically offsetting their attraction to artificial light (Harris 1982, Miles et al. 2010, Reed et al. 1985, Rodriguez and Rodriguez 2009, Telfer et al. 1987, Verheijen 1981). We obtained data regarding nightly proportions of visible moon information (USNO 2012), and examined the relationship between number of fledglings collected and moon phase. The majority of birds were encountered within a two-week window around the new moon (17 August; Fig. 2), which is similar to results reported in previous studies (Rodriguez and Rodriguez 2009, Telfer et al. 1987, Verheijen 1981). However, with data from only one season, we cannot exclude other unknown factors which may have Figure 1. Location of Atlantic Puffin breeding colonies in Newfoundland, Canada, mentioned in this study, and the communities in the vicinity of the Witless Bay Islands Seabird Ecological Reserve where stranded puffins have been captured. The line surrounding the Reserve represents the current boundary in which commercial marine traffic is prohibited. Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, No. 4 S.I. Wilhelm, J.J. Schau, E. Schau, S.M. Dooley, D.L. Wiseman, and H.A. Hogan 2013 627 occurred during this two-week period. Although the number of fledglings collected during the peak period was lowest on the day of the new moon (Fig. 2), this finding may have been due to conditions created by a major storm that passed through that night. The storm’s high winds and heavy rains hindered search efforts, and grounded Atlantic Puffins may have sought shelter from the storm, further precluding detection by volunteers. Alternatively, the storm may have discouraged fledglings from even departing colonies that night. Fledglings intercepted by the Puffin Patrol in 2012 had an average weight of 248 ± 25 g (range: 160–315 g), which is similar to the weight-range of 159–323 g (n = 101) previously reported from Great Island over four decades earlier for 1968 and 1969, by Nettleship (1972). The results of a linear regression suggested that weight declined significantly over the fledging period (F1,13 = 112.18, SE = 4.621, P < 0.001; Fig. 3). This finding is consistent with previous studies: early-hatched Atlantic Puffin chicks fledge at a higher weight (Nettleship 1972) and grow faster (Baillie 2001) than late-hatched chicks. Long-term monitoring of fledgling body condition from the northeast Atlantic has revealed a declining trend over the last four decades that is associated with deteriorating feeding conditions (Harris and Wanless 2011), showing the value of monitoring fledgling weight and comparing weights within and among years to infer changes in breeding conditions. Figure 2. Total number of live Atlantic Puffins captured during nights with good (white bars) and poor (grey bars) visibility in relation to moon illumination (new moon = 0, full moon = 1). 628 S.I. Wilhelm, J.J. Schau, E. Schau, S.M. Dooley, D.L. Wiseman, and H.A. Hogan 2013 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, No. 4 Factors that affect Atlantic Puffin breeding success include characteristics of breeding habitat (distance from shore and slope), food availability, timing of hatching, and weather conditions (Harris and Wanless 2011, Nettleship 1972, Rodway et al. 1998). Unusually cold and wet conditions during August 2011 led to the observation of hundreds of dead Atlantic Puffin chicks (and there were likely thousands more that were not observed) littering the breeding slopes of both Gull and Great Islands. Post-mortem examinations revealed that chicks succumbed to hypothermia (L. Rogers, Veterinary pathologist, Animal Health Division, Department of Natural Resources, St. John’s, NL, Canada). Chicks being monitored as part of a research project were being adequately fed by their parents (M. Fitzsimmons, Memorial University, St. John’s NL, Canada, pers. comm.), indicating that food was not limiting, and supporting the contention that weather conditions caused the lack of breeding success. This harsh weather may explain why few live puffins were found by the Puffin Patrol in 2011 despite intense search effort. In contrast, 2012 was warm and dry with little mortality observed on the breeding grounds on Gull Island (M. Fitzsimmons, pers. comm.). The Puffin Patrol is proving to be a conservation initiative with multiple benefits. In addition to successfully returning a high proportion of stranded birds to the wild, the information collected is useful for studying effects of artificial light on fledging Atlantic Puffins and for making a case to mitigate human Figure 3. Mean weight of fledglings, captured and released by the Puffin Patrol in 2012. Numbers above SE bars represent sample sizes. Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, No. 4 S.I. Wilhelm, J.J. Schau, E. Schau, S.M. Dooley, D.L. Wiseman, and H.A. Hogan 2013 629 light pollution, particularly along the stretch of coastline overlooking the Witless Bay Islands Seabird Ecological Reserve, which is experiencing rapid urban development. Effective monitoring protocols for seabird populations include regular collection of demographic information (e.g., breeding success, condition of fledging chicks). These data can be difficult to obtain on the breeding grounds, particularly for Atlantic Puffins, which are sensitive to human disturbance, including disturbance by professional researchers (Baillie 2001, Harris and Wanless 2011, Rodway et al. 1996). Collecting data regarding condition of fledglings has the potential to help biologists monitor the health of the two largest Atlantic Puffin colonies in North America without causing additional disturbance to the colonies. Flattened wing measurements will be collected in future years because wing length of fledglings has been shown to be a strong predictor of juvenile survival in Fratercula cirrhata Pallas (Tufted Puffin; Morrison et al. 2009), and an indicator of population recruitment. Other future work may involve studying noise attraction in seabirds. In addition to light attraction, anecdotal observations suggest that Atlantic Puffins are also attracted to artificial noises, such as those produced by generators (A. Bond, Environment Canada, Saskatoon SK, Canada, pers. comm.; Harris 1982; Harris et al. 1998). The humming sounds emitted by vehicles driving on the roads along the coast between Witless Bay and Bauline East are audible for several kilometers offshore, especially on calm and foggy nights (S.I. Wilhelm, pers. observ.) and may contribute to the attraction of Atlantic Puffin fledglings to these communities. Acknowledgments We wish to thank the numerous dedicated Puffin Patrol volunteers who roamed the streets nightly during the fledging period, and without whom this study would not have been possible. A special thank you is extended to Lori Colbert for her exceptional dedication to the Puffin Patrol. Needs Convenience, Witless Bay was a wonderful gathering place for the patrollers, and the owners turned off unnecessary lights and offered free beverages to patrollers wearing their safety vests. We are very grateful to the residents of the local communities for reducing unnecessary lights, calling in stranded Atlantic Puffin sightings, taking part in the patrols and donating equipment. Finally, we appreciate the generosity of Tyler Dinn of Witless Bay Ecotours for assisting in the release of fledglings by boat when winds were too high to release them from the beach. Birds were collected under Canadian Wildlife Service Scientific Permit no. SS2505 and banded under Environment Canada Scientific Permit to Capture and Band Migratory Birds no. 10559 C (H.A. Hogan) and 10559 X (S.I. Wilhelm). Financial and logistic support were provided by Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Environment and Conservation (Parks and Natural Areas Division), and Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service. 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