Abstract: The nominate race of the greater crested tern Thalasseus bergii breeds only along the coast of the Benguela region (west coast) of southern Africa, where its population is increasing, in contrast to other species of breeding seabirds in the region which similarly depend on forage fish. Although this population’s trends are well known, its demographic parameters remain obscure.
We used multi-event
capture–recapture–recovery modelling to provide the first estimates of
survival. The survival rate of birds older than two years was 0.93
(0.91–0.95); second-year survival was 0.93 (0.90–0.95) and first-year
survival was 0.80 (0.73–0.85). A resighting of a 34-year-old bird is a
new longevity record for the species. Population growth rates projected
with a Leslie matrix model that included our survival estimates were
very similar to estimates from annual counts of the breeding population
(7–8% y−1), suggesting that these survival estimates
adequately describe the species’ demography. High survival rates have
likely contributed to the species’ recent population increase in the
region.The study made the journal cover. Congrats Ana & Ana (& Co.)
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