Collecting GPS positions on bird movements requires secure and efficient attachment methods that maintain animal welfare. For seabirds, one of the most threatened bird groups globally, non-permanent attachment methods are often preferred in short-term studies due to their lower risk of injury, feather damage, or long-term behavioral disruption. However, most available non-permanent solutions, such as tape or temporary adhesive...

Coastal zones are heavily impacted by anthropogenic development. However, they are also important habitats for seabirds, some of which are coastal year-round. We investigated the non-breeding season distribution and activity patterns of black guillemots ( Cepphus grylle ), a year-round coastal seabird species, from two colonies in central/northern Norway over multiple years using geolocator loggers equipped with wet-dry sensor...

In studies of avian populations accurate sex identification facilitates the study of sex-linked behaviour, ecology, social structure, decision-making, and life histories. To improve molecular sex identification protocols for the black-legged kittiwake (Laridae: Rissa tridactyla , hereafter ‘kittiwake’), primers previously developed for other bird species were realigned against the kittiwake CHD1 Z and W chromosomes to generate...

Aim Ecologically similar species living in sympatry are expected to segregate to reduce the effects of competition where resources are limiting. Segregation from heterospecifics commonly occurs in space, but it is often unknown whether such segregation has underlying environmental causes. Indeed, species could segregate because of different fundamental environmental requirements (i.e., ‘niche divergence’), because competitive...

Animal telemetry is maturing into a viable method for observing the ocean as it can be used to monitor both environmental conditions and biological metrics along the movement trajectories of marine animals. As part of the Cormorant Oceanography Project, we have augmented a biologging tag with an external fast response temperature sensor to collect ocean temperature profiles from the backs of foraging marine birds. Cormorants d...

Introduction Offshore wind energy development (OWED) has been identified as a major contributor to the aspired growth in Norwegian renewable energy production. Spatially explicit vulnerability assessments are necessary to select sites that minimize the harm to biodiversity, including seabird populations. Distributional data of seabirds in remote areas are scarce, and to identify vulnerable areas, species, and seasons it is nec...

The intensification of coastal development poses potential threats for coastal seabirds, and understanding their habitat use is a key factor to guide conservation and management. In sub-arctic areas, black guillemots ( Cepphus grylle ) use coastal habitats year-round, which makes them vulnerable to the increasing human activities in these areas. In mainland Norway, one of the species’ strongholds, black guillemots are red-list...

Human activity in the coastal zone is increasing worldwide, putting a number of seabird species under pressure. Norway is no exception to this development, and with > 35% of the NE Atlantic population of the currently declining European shag ( Gulosus aristotelis ) population, Norway has an international responsibility for the conservation of this species, and its important foraging habitats during breeding. We analysed tracki...

We explored the implications of reaching the Paris Agreement Objective of limiting global warming to Alle alle , Fratercula arctica , Uria aalge , Uria lomvia and Rissa tridactyla ) using tracking data for ~1500 individuals through resource selection functions based on mechanistic modeling of seabird energy requirements, and a dynamic bioclimate envelope model of seabird prey. Future winter distributions were predicted to shif...

Coastal kelp forest ecosystems create dynamic and productive habitats, supporting a wide range of epiphytic flora, invertebrates, fish and seabirds. Worldwide, kelp is harvested commercially, affecting kelp-associated animal communities. There is, however, limited knowledge of how fish and seabird respond to kelp harvest, highlighting the need to evaluate the ecological impact of harvest on all ecosystem levels. Using 6 years...

Ship and boat traffic are increasing sources of disturbance to marine wildlife. During moult, sea ducks are flightless and rely on productive and shallow feeding areas. However, this period coincides with the peak of the recreational boating season. This is the first study to investigate the escape behaviour of moulting common eiders ( Somateria mollissima ) to the approach of small boats. We quantified flight initiation dista...

The timing of annual events such as reproduction is a critical component of how free‐living organisms respond to ongoing climate change. This may be especially true in the Arctic, which is disproportionally impacted by climate warming. Here, we show that Arctic seabirds responded to climate change by moving the start of their reproduction earlier, coincident with an advancing onset of spring and that their response is phylogen...