Ecology Summary - Sterna paradisaea

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Ecology of Sterna paradisaea

Main Ref.	SAUP Database, 2006
Remarks	Coastal (Ref. 356), found in the beach, shoreline, and pelagic zone (Ref. 116102). Displays surface plunging and dipping (Ref. 356). "Erect" and "sky-pointing" display as an appeasement posture during nesting and in pairing. High level of territorial aggression during pre-incubation and hatching periods. European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) feed on its eggs. Colonial behavior as an anti-predatory tactic by confusing or intimidating its predator. Ruddy Turnstones (A. interpres) steal fish delivered by parents of young birds in colonial nesting sites. Surface feeder. Moves across the great distance from the polar northern hemisphere to the southern polar region to feed after the breeding season; when feeding, tend to spread out pelagically instead of in groups. 1988 La Niña event linked to fledging failure on Mousa Island off Scotland (Ref. 87784).

Main Ref.

SAUP Database, 2006

Remarks

Coastal (Ref. 356), found in the beach, shoreline, and pelagic zone (Ref. 116102). Displays surface plunging and dipping (Ref. 356). "Erect" and "sky-pointing" display as an appeasement posture during nesting and in pairing. High level of territorial aggression during pre-incubation and hatching periods. European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) feed on its eggs. Colonial behavior as an anti-predatory tactic by confusing or intimidating its predator. Ruddy Turnstones (A. interpres) steal fish delivered by parents of young birds in colonial nesting sites. Surface feeder. Moves across the great distance from the polar northern hemisphere to the southern polar region to feed after the breeding season; when feeding, tend to spread out pelagically instead of in groups. 1988 La Niña event linked to fledging failure on Mousa Island off Scotland (Ref. 87784).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Sterna paradisaea may be found.

Habitat

Substrate
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Schreiber, E.A. and J. Burger, 2001
Associations	colony-forming/symphorism;
Associated with
Association remarks	Colonial behavior as an anti-predatory tactic by confusing or intimidating its predator (Ref. 87784). 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
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	4.20	0.87			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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