Ecology of Sterna dougallii
| Main Ref. | SAUP Database, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Remarks | A coastal species; <30 km (Ref. 356). This species primarily forage inshore (Ref. 95711). Displays plunge-diving and dipping behavior (Ref. 356). In the North Sea off the east coast of Scotland and northern England, they are known to partially feed on the sandeel, Ammodytes marinus. Breeding pairs share incubation and chick-rearing duties in nesting colonies. They surface-feed by scooping prey from the water and carry it in their bills. Adults feed their chicks with regurgitated food (Ref. 95711). |
Aquatic zones / Water bodies
| Marine - Neritic | Marine - Oceanic | Brackishwater | Freshwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies |
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Habitat
| Substrate | |
|---|---|
| Substrate Ref. | |
| Special habitats | |
| Special habitats Ref. |
Associations
| Ref. | Daunt, F., S. Wanless, P.R. Simon, H.J. Greenstreet, K.R. Hamer and M.P. Harris, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Associations | colony-forming/symphorism; |
| Associated with | |
| Association remarks | Form nesting colonies (Ref. 95711). |
| Parasitism |
feeding
| Feeding type | mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up) |
|---|---|
| Feeding type Ref. | Daunt, F., S. Wanless, P.R. Simon, H.J. Greenstreet, K.R. Hamer and M.P. Harris, 2008 |
| Feeding habit | hunting macrofauna (predator) |
| Feeding habit Ref. | Daunt, F., S. Wanless, P.R. Simon, H.J. Greenstreet, K.R. Hamer and M.P. Harris, 2008 |
Trophic Level(s)
| Estimation method | original sample | unfished population | Remark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troph | s.e. | Troph | s.e. | ||
| From diet composition | |||||
| From individual food items | 4.30 | 0.97 | Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine. | ||
| Ref. | |||||