14 results on '"Spelt, Anouk"'
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2. The secret life of urban gulls : habitat use, foraging behaviour and flight energetics of urban-nesting lesser black-backed gulls, Larus fuscus
- Author
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Spelt, Anouk and Windsor, Shane
- Abstract
Urbanisation generally negatively affects biodiversity, but some opportunistic animals, like gulls, are able to adapt to urban environments and are increasing in numbers in cities. At the same time, traditional non-urban gull colonies (especially in the UK) are declining. Different aspects of the - supposedly better - living conditions in the city have been proposed for this increase in urban areas, such as fewer predators, ample nesting sites, predictable anthropogenic food sources and favourable weather conditions. However, the impacts of urban living on gull behaviour and movement ecology is relatively unstudied and little is known about how they use urban environments. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to study the movement ecology of urban-nesting gulls by quantifying their habitat use, foraging behaviour and flight energetics. Between 2016 and 2019, 12 lesser black-backed gulls, Larus fuscus, were tracked with UvA-BiTS GPS tracking devices during the breeding season. These tracking devices collected high-resolution positional and acceleration data, the latter used to identify gull-specific behaviours and energy budgets. Additionally, observations were conducted at the nesting areas to quantify their breeding status and at feeding grounds to observe their foraging behaviours in distinct habitats. These datasets were then combined with habitat maps of Bristol and weather data from weather stations to quantify habitat use, foraging behaviour and flight energetics of urban-nesting gulls. Firstly, it was found that urban-nesting gulls in Bristol spent the majority of their time during the breeding season in suburban and urban areas, but also utilised rural areas surrounding the city. Additionally, they used distinct foraging behaviours in different habitats, appearing to adapt their behaviour to suit resource availability. Secondly, it was found that gulls matched their foraging schedule to the timing of school breaks and the opening and closing times of a waste centre, but that gull activity in a park appeared to correspond with the availability of natural food sources. This suggests that gulls are able to adjust their foraging behaviour to artificial time schedules when beneficial. Thirdly, it was found that favourable weather conditions in the city, such as the potential for thermals and orographic updrafts, affected the gulls' flight behaviour, but surprisingly, did not result in substantial differences in time investment or energy costs. This suggests that gulls are able to modify their flight behaviour to keep a relatively consistent energy budget across a wide range of weather conditions. Overall, this work shows that urban-nesting gulls are highly flexible behaviourally and are able to take advantage of a wide variety of terrestrial habitats by using a range of foraging strategies. They also time their foraging behaviour with the peak availability of food sources and are able to maintain their energy costs over a range of weather conditions by shifting their flight style to optimise their use of the aerial environment. The multiple levels of behavioural flexibility demonstrated by gulls appear to enable them to be successful in the diverse dynamic urban environment.
- Published
- 2020
3. Active breeding seabirds prospect alternative breeding colonies
- Author
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Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor, Office français de la biodiversité (France), North Pacific Research Board, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Ministero della Transizione Ecologica, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministère de la Transition écologique et de la Cohésion des territoires (France), European Commission, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (US), Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Germany), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Bristol Robotics Laboratory, Interreg, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Services (US), Oregon State University, Kralj, Jelena [0000-0002-1500-5897], Kralj, Jelena, Ponchon, Aurore, Oro, Daniel, Amadesi, Barbara, Arizaga, Juan, Baccetti, Nicola, Boulinier, Thierry, Cecere, Jacopo G., Corcoran, Robin M., Corman, Anna-Marie, Enners, Leonie, Fleishman, Abram, Garthe, Stefan, Grémillet, David, Harding, Ann, Igual, José Manuel, Jurinović, Luka, Kubetzki, Ulrike, Lyons, Donald E, Orben, Rachael, Paredes, Rosana, Pirrello, Simone, Recorbet, Bernard, Shaffer, Scott A., Schwemmer, Philipp, Serra, Lorenzo, Spelt, Anouk, Tavecchia, Giacomo, Tengeres, Jill, Tome, Davorin, Williamson, Cara, Windsor, Shane, Young, Hillary, Zenatello, Marco, Fijn, Ruben, Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor, Office français de la biodiversité (France), North Pacific Research Board, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Ministero della Transizione Ecologica, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministère de la Transition écologique et de la Cohésion des territoires (France), European Commission, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (US), Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (Germany), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Bristol Robotics Laboratory, Interreg, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Services (US), Oregon State University, Kralj, Jelena [0000-0002-1500-5897], Kralj, Jelena, Ponchon, Aurore, Oro, Daniel, Amadesi, Barbara, Arizaga, Juan, Baccetti, Nicola, Boulinier, Thierry, Cecere, Jacopo G., Corcoran, Robin M., Corman, Anna-Marie, Enners, Leonie, Fleishman, Abram, Garthe, Stefan, Grémillet, David, Harding, Ann, Igual, José Manuel, Jurinović, Luka, Kubetzki, Ulrike, Lyons, Donald E, Orben, Rachael, Paredes, Rosana, Pirrello, Simone, Recorbet, Bernard, Shaffer, Scott A., Schwemmer, Philipp, Serra, Lorenzo, Spelt, Anouk, Tavecchia, Giacomo, Tengeres, Jill, Tome, Davorin, Williamson, Cara, Windsor, Shane, Young, Hillary, Zenatello, Marco, and Fijn, Ruben
- Abstract
Compared to other animal movements, prospecting by adult individuals for a future breeding site is commonly overlooked. Prospecting influences the decision of where to breed and has consequences on fitness and lifetime reproductive success. By analysing movements of 31 satellite- and GPS-tracked gull and tern populations belonging to 14 species in Europe and North America, we examined the occurrence and factors explaining prospecting by actively breeding birds. Prospecting in active breeders occurred in 85.7% of studied species, across 61.3% of sampled populations. Prospecting was more common in populations with frequent inter-annual changes of breeding sites and among females. These results contradict theoretical models which predict that prospecting is expected to evolve in relatively predictable and stable environments. More long-term tracking studies are needed to identify factors affecting patterns of prospecting in different environments and understand the consequences of prospecting on fitness at the individual and population level.
- Published
- 2023
4. Habitat use of urban-nesting lesser black-backed gulls during the breeding season
- Author
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Spelt, Anouk, Williamson, Cara, Shamoun-Baranes, Judy, Shepard, Emily, Rock, Peter, and Windsor, Shane
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Samenvatting CS-NL event - 7 dec 2022
- Author
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Spelt, Anouk
- Abstract
Samenvatting van de notulen van de break-out sessies tijdens de eerste netwerkmeeting van Citizen Science Nederland op woensdag 7 december 2022.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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6. Presentatie CS-NL Netwerk Dag
- Author
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Gold, Margaret and Spelt, Anouk
- Abstract
De allereerste netwerkmeeting van Citizen Science Nederland vond plaats op woensdag 7 december 2022 in de Social Impact Factory in Utrecht. Iedereen die zich bezighoudt met Citizen Science - van burgerwetenschappers en lokale organisaties tot onderzoekers en beleidsmedewerkers - was welkom. Elkaar leren kennen stond centraal bij deze meeting, maar daarnaast zijn wij begonnen om het nieuwe netwerk vorm te geven "by the community, for the community". Dit zijn de slides van het Plenaire onderdeel van het Netwerkdag
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
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7. Bird Velocity Optimization as Inspiration for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Urban Environments
- Author
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Williamson, Cara J., primary, Spelt, Anouk, additional, and Windsor, Shane P., additional
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
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8. Bird-inspired Velocity Optimization for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the Urban Environment
- Author
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Williamson, Cara, Spelt, Anouk, and Windsor, Shane P
- Abstract
Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, SUAVs, are low-cost quick to launch platforms which offer potential for a range of roles in urban environments. However, these environments create complex wind flows that present control issues for small, low speed platforms. Further to this, battery technology does not yet offer the power-weight capacity to enable the endurance requirements for such missions. In comparison, birds of comparable size and weight are not only able to manage complex wind flow, but also exploit the environment as a locomotive energy source. Birds in migration are known to adjust airspeed to minimize the energetic cost of transport in response to wind conditions however, it is unknown whether birds implement the same velocity optimization strategies in more complex environments and while performing energy harvesting flight strategies. This study used Global Positioning System (GPS) backpacks to track 11 urban nesting gulls and found that during 193 daily commutes the gulls were able to soar 44% of the time by making use of both thermal and orographic updrafts. We outline cost of transport (CoT) theory and propose a model for optimizing airspeed for given wind conditions whilst maintaining a trajectory to a given location. We used the gull flight paths to test for CoT velocity adjustments by considering their flapping and soaring strategies. We found that by having a similar best glide speed and minimum power speed in soaring and flapping flight the gulls were able to make energy savings of as much as 30%. These models calculated optimum ground and airspeeds for known wind conditions assuming trajectory holding throughout flight, and as such could be implemented on a SUAV platform with wind sensing capabilities. This approach could significantly reduce the energy requirements for a SUAV navigating in an urban environment.
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- 2020
- Full Text
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9. Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns
- Author
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Spelt, Anouk, primary, Soutar, Oliver, additional, Williamson, Cara, additional, Memmott, Jane, additional, Shamoun‐Baranes, Judy, additional, Rock, Peter, additional, and Windsor, Shane, additional
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Bird-inspired Velocity Optimization for UAVs in the Urban Environment
- Author
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Williamson, Cara J., primary, Spelt, Anouk, additional, and Windsor, Shane P., additional
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Optimizing the use of biologgers for movement ecology research
- Author
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Williams, Hannah J., primary, Taylor, Lucy A., additional, Benhamou, Simon, additional, Bijleveld, Allert I., additional, Clay, Thomas A., additional, de Grissac, Sophie, additional, Demšar, Urška, additional, English, Holly M., additional, Franconi, Novella, additional, Gómez‐Laich, Agustina, additional, Griffiths, Rachael C., additional, Kay, William P., additional, Morales, Juan Manuel, additional, Potts, Jonathan R., additional, Rogerson, Katharine F., additional, Rutz, Christian, additional, Spelt, Anouk, additional, Trevail, Alice M., additional, Wilson, Rory P., additional, and Börger, Luca, additional
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns.
- Author
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Spelt, Anouk, Soutar, Oliver, Williamson, Cara, Memmott, Jane, Shamoun‐Baranes, Judy, Rock, Peter, and Windsor, Shane
- Subjects
GULLS ,GLOBAL Positioning System ,FORAGE ,PATTERN matching ,SCHOOL vacations - Abstract
Numerous animals are able to adapt to temporal patterns in natural food availability, but whether species living in relatively novel environments such as cities can adapt to anthropogenic activity cycles is less well understood. We aimed to assess the extent to which urban gulls have adapted their foraging schedule to anthropogenic food source fluctuations related to human activity by combining field observations at three distinct urban feeding grounds (park, school and waste centre) with global positioning system (GPS) tracking data of gulls visiting similar types of feeding grounds throughout the same city. We found that the birds' foraging patterns closely matched the timing of school breaks and the opening and closing times of the waste centre, but gull activity in the park appeared to correspond to the availability of natural food sources. Overall, this suggests that gulls may have the behavioural flexibility to adapt their foraging behaviour to human time schedules when beneficial and that this trait could potentially enable them to thrive in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Optimizing the use of biologgers for movement ecology research.
- Author
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Williams, Hannah J., Taylor, Lucy A., Benhamou, Simon, Bijleveld, Allert I., Clay, Thomas A., Grissac, Sophie, Demšar, Urška, English, Holly M., Franconi, Novella, Gómez‐Laich, Agustina, Griffiths, Rachael C., Kay, William P., Morales, Juan Manuel, Potts, Jonathan R., Rogerson, Katharine F., Rutz, Christian, Spelt, Anouk, Trevail, Alice M., Wilson, Rory P., and Börger, Luca
- Subjects
ECOLOGY ,ANIMAL mechanics ,BIG data ,STATISTICS ,STATISTICAL models ,LOGGING equipment - Abstract
The paradigm‐changing opportunities of biologging sensors for ecological research, especially movement ecology, are vast, but the crucial questions of how best to match the most appropriate sensors and sensor combinations to specific biological questions and how to analyse complex biologging data, are mostly ignored.Here, we fill this gap by reviewing how to optimize the use of biologging techniques to answer questions in movement ecology and synthesize this into an Integrated Biologging Framework (IBF).We highlight that multisensor approaches are a new frontier in biologging, while identifying current limitations and avenues for future development in sensor technology.We focus on the importance of efficient data exploration, and more advanced multidimensional visualization methods, combined with appropriate archiving and sharing approaches, to tackle the big data issues presented by biologging. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in matching the peculiarities of specific sensor data to the statistical models used, highlighting at the same time the large advances which will be required in the latter to properly analyse biologging data.Taking advantage of the biologging revolution will require a large improvement in the theoretical and mathematical foundations of movement ecology, to include the rich set of high‐frequency multivariate data, which greatly expand the fundamentally limited and coarse data that could be collected using location‐only technology such as GPS. Equally important will be the establishment of multidisciplinary collaborations to catalyse the opportunities offered by current and future biologging technology. If this is achieved, clear potential exists for developing a vastly improved mechanistic understanding of animal movements and their roles in ecological processes and for building realistic predictive models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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14. Sex allocation and sex-specific parental investment in an endangered seabird
- Author
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Spelt, Anouk, primary and Pichegru, Lorien, additional
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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