Abstracts

Presented by Susan Ellis-Felege - Email: susan.felege@email.und.edu

Drones are relatively new technologies gaining popularity among wildlife biologists. As with any new tool in wildlife science, operating protocols must be developed through rigorous impact testing to avoid potential biases. Some studies have quantified behavioral responses of birds to drone surveys and results suggest responses are species and context dependent. We evaluated drone-induced behavioral responses of nesting Common eiders (Somateria mollissima) in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada. Using a Trimble UX5 fixed wing aircraft in 2016, we monitored and recorded eider behaviors at 9 nests (7 with drone surveys and 2 controls) with miniature video cameras and an additional 16 with trail cameras (8 with drone surveys and 8 controls). Video was reviewed 30 minutes before a UAV flight, during a survey, and 30 minutes after landing to fully capture procedures associated with a drone survey period. We quantified behaviors as the proportion of time birds were on- or off-nest to determine general attendance patterns. We also examined the specific behaviors of birds (vigilant, sleeping, nest maintenance activities etc.) using the subset of nests which had video cameras, allowing for fine-scale behavioral assessments. Overall, we found no effect of drone flights on nest attendance (M = 0.53 recesses/day regardless of drone survey occurrence; M = 8.1 and 10.7 minutes on days with and without drone surveys, respectively). Specific behaviors from the video cameras suggest birds may notice the drone flying over, but this does not appear to influence rates of nest attendance or more importantly nest success. Results from this study can be used to inform best practices for drone surveys, and highlight the need for species-specific impact assessments before using a drone for wildlife research.