title: Human Activity and Habitat Characteristics Influence Shorebird Habitat Use and Behavior at a Vancouver Island Migratory Stopover Site.
abstract: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, has 16 km of coastal beaches that attract many thousands of people and shorebirds (S.O. Charadrii) every year. To identify locations where shorebirds concentrate and to determine the impact of human activity and habitat characteristics on shorebirds, we conducted shorebird and visitor surveys at 20 beach sectors (across 20 total km of beach) during fall migration in 2011-2014 and spring migration in 2012 and 2013. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regression and a model selection approach, we found that beach width and number of people influenced shorebird use of beach sectors (Bayesian information criterion weight of top model = 0.69). Shorebird absence from beaches was associated with increasing number of people (parameter estimate from top model: 0.38; 95 % CI 0.19, 0.57) and decreasing beach width (parameter estimate: -0.32; 95 % CI -0.47, -0.17). Shorebirds spent more time at wider beaches (parameter estimate: 0.68; 95 % CI 0.49, 0.87). Close proximity to people increased the proportion of time shorebirds spent moving, while shorebirds spent more time moving and less time foraging on wider beaches than on narrower ones. Shorebird disturbance increased with proximity of people, activity speed, and presence of dogs. Based on our findings, management options, for reducing shorebird disturbance at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and similar shorebird stopover areas, include mandatory buffer distances between people and shorebirds, restrictions on fast-moving activities (e.g., running, biking), prohibiting dogs, and seasonal closures of wide beach sections.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada. colleen.murchison@pc.gc.ca.|Nunavut Field Unit, Parks Canada, Box 278, Iqaluit, NU, X0A 0H0, Canada. colleen.murchison@pc.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Colleen R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Murchison
authors.affiliation: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Box 280, Ucluelet, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zharikov
authors.affiliation: Biology Department and Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nol
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001717:Birds / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D001955:British Columbia; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D062312:Islands; D007899:Leisure Activities; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Habitat use; Human disturbance; Predation risk; Prey availability; Shorebird; Stopover