Supersize Me: Does Anthropogenic Food Change the Body Condition of Silver Gulls? A Comparison Between Urbanized and Remote, Non-urbanized Areas
By H. Auman, C. Meathrel, A. Richardson. 2008
122 citations recorded by the source corpus.
Abstract Urban populations of several gull species worldwide are increasing dramatically and this is often assumed to be a result of greater access to anthropogenic food obtained in urbanized environments. This research investigated the potential effects of an anthropogenic diet on the mass and body condition of Silver Gulls (Larus novaehollandiae) by comparing birds at a remote, non-urbanized site (Furneaux Island Group) with those at an urbanized (Hobart) site in Tasmania, Australia. The mass, size and body condition of gulls were independent of whether or not a bird was breeding, and independent of the stage in the breeding cycle. Male gulls from this urban environment were heavier and of greater body condition than the structurally identical, non-urban gulls, but no differences were detected between females.
Subfields: Ecology, Economics and Econometrics
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/317cf18df30cb3249f2e1c6bc1ffe5e6e8a769f6
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In Ecology
Citations in the corpus
- Habitat urbanization and its effects on birds (2015, background): “…adults of small passerine species living in urban and non-urban areas do not differ in their body condition, a study on Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae populations found urban males to have ca. 10% greater mass and body condition compared to males of a non-urbanized island (Auman et al. 2008).”
- Does Garbage in the Diet Improve Reproductive Output of Glaucous Gulls? (2010, background): “Garbage may also improve the parents’ body condition (Auman et al. 2008) and therefore their ability to care for and successfully raise their chicks (Tveraa et al. 1998).”
- Which Traits Influence Bird Survival in the City? A Review (2021, background): “A study on silver gulls (Larus novaehollandiae) in Tasmania found that adult male gulls in urban areas had greater body mass than adult male gulls in rural areas [76].”