Investigating diurnal effects and joint nest defense behavior in Herring Gulls

Nest defense in birds is vital for the protection of their young, but can prove energetically costly. Birds often show plasticity in nest defense depending on factors such as threat level, mate presence, nest stage, and body condition. Such factors can vary over temporal extents ranging from a diel cycle to a breeding season or an individuals lifetime. Understanding diurnal variation in nest defense intensity can be particularly useful when studying a breeding population to help investigators minimize nest disturbance, yet few studies have explored diurnal variation in nest defense intensity. Here we investigated how nest defense by Herring Gulls (Larus smithsonianus) varies with time of day. We simulated predatory threat at 26 Herring Gull nests during four different times of day: "Early Morning" (0530-0600), "Late Morning" (1000-1030), "Afternoon" (1400-1430), and "Evening" (1900-1930). Based on previous findings of diurnal activity patterns in a Herring Gull, we predicted that nest defense intensity--measured as aggressiveness of response and latency to calm--would be greater during the early morning and late evening than at other times. Contrary to our prediction, we found that the time of day did not affect nest defense intensity in Herring Gulls. However, independent of time of day, we found that when both mates were present at the nest, aggression scores were elevated. Our results suggest that joint nest defense in Herring Gulls permits greater aggressiveness towards predators, perhaps due to division of labor or lowered risk of complete nest failure if one parent is injured or killed. Further, our results indicate that researchers can minimize nest disturbance and accompanying stress by limiting research activities at Herring Gull nests when both parents are present.