Royal tern (Sterna maxima) chick diet on Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia
- UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Deniz Aygen (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
- Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
- Advisor
- Steven Emslie
Abstract: I investigated Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) chicks on an uninhabited barrier island,
Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia,
during 2003 and 2004 to determine the seasonal variation in diet and the fisheries-related
correlations in the availability of quality prey. Systematic observations of adults returning with
food indicated that at least 19 families of fish, crustaceans, and squid were exploited. The most
common forage species in both years were anchovies (Engraulidae) and herring (Clupeidae).
Significant seasonal and annual variation occurred in prey type and size of prey, and a shift in
prey occurred during the middle and later portions of the study during both years. However, time
of day did not affect the proportion of anchovy and herring being fed to the chicks. These results
suggest that prey abundance is the limiting factor in the diet of Royal Tern chicks.
Royal tern (Sterna maxima) chick diet on Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia
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Created on 1/1/2009
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Partial Fullfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
- Language: English
- Date: 2009
- Keywords
- Terns--Food, Terns--Virginia--Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Subjects
- Terns -- Virginia -- Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Terns -- Food