Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.

The expansion of humans and their related infrastructure is increasing the likelihood that wildlife will interact with humans. When disturbed by humans, animals often change their behaviour, which can result in time and energetic costs to that animal. An animal's decision to change behaviour is...

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Main Authors: Cameron J Nordell, Troy I Wellicome, Erin M Bayne
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5436750?pdf=render
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author Cameron J Nordell
Troy I Wellicome
Erin M Bayne
author_facet Cameron J Nordell
Troy I Wellicome
Erin M Bayne
author_sort Cameron J Nordell
collection DOAJ
description The expansion of humans and their related infrastructure is increasing the likelihood that wildlife will interact with humans. When disturbed by humans, animals often change their behaviour, which can result in time and energetic costs to that animal. An animal's decision to change behaviour is likely related to the type of disturbance, the individual's past experience with disturbance, and the landscape in which the disturbance occurs. In southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, we quantified probability of flight initiation from the nest by Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) during approaches to nests by investigators. We tested if probability of flight was related to different disturbance types, previous experience, and the anthropogenic landscape in which individual Ferruginous Hawks nested. Probability of flight was related to the type of approach by the investigator, the number of previous visits by investigators, and the vehicular traffic around the nest. Approaches by humans on foot resulted in a greater probability of flight than those in a vehicle. Approaches in a vehicle via low traffic volume access roads were related to increased probability of flight relative to other road types. The number of previous investigator approaches to the nest increased the probability of flight. Overall, we found support that Ferruginous Hawks show habituation to vehicles and the positive reinforcement hypotheses as probability of flight was negatively related to an index of traffic activity near the nest. Our work emphasizes that complex, dynamic processes drive the decision to initiate flight from the nest, and contributes to the growing body of work explaining how responses to humans vary within species.
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spelling doaj.art-d0f0e50d3a5747a0a124499dfff91c372022-12-22T01:34:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01125e017758410.1371/journal.pone.0177584Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.Cameron J NordellTroy I WellicomeErin M BayneThe expansion of humans and their related infrastructure is increasing the likelihood that wildlife will interact with humans. When disturbed by humans, animals often change their behaviour, which can result in time and energetic costs to that animal. An animal's decision to change behaviour is likely related to the type of disturbance, the individual's past experience with disturbance, and the landscape in which the disturbance occurs. In southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, we quantified probability of flight initiation from the nest by Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) during approaches to nests by investigators. We tested if probability of flight was related to different disturbance types, previous experience, and the anthropogenic landscape in which individual Ferruginous Hawks nested. Probability of flight was related to the type of approach by the investigator, the number of previous visits by investigators, and the vehicular traffic around the nest. Approaches by humans on foot resulted in a greater probability of flight than those in a vehicle. Approaches in a vehicle via low traffic volume access roads were related to increased probability of flight relative to other road types. The number of previous investigator approaches to the nest increased the probability of flight. Overall, we found support that Ferruginous Hawks show habituation to vehicles and the positive reinforcement hypotheses as probability of flight was negatively related to an index of traffic activity near the nest. Our work emphasizes that complex, dynamic processes drive the decision to initiate flight from the nest, and contributes to the growing body of work explaining how responses to humans vary within species.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5436750?pdf=render
spellingShingle Cameron J Nordell
Troy I Wellicome
Erin M Bayne
Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.
PLoS ONE
title Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.
title_full Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.
title_fullStr Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.
title_full_unstemmed Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.
title_short Flight initiation by Ferruginous Hawks depends on disturbance type, experience, and the anthropogenic landscape.
title_sort flight initiation by ferruginous hawks depends on disturbance type experience and the anthropogenic landscape
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5436750?pdf=render
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AT erinmbayne flightinitiationbyferruginoushawksdependsondisturbancetypeexperienceandtheanthropogeniclandscape