Innovative animal tracking: improving our understanding of cormorant landscape use

Purpose and goal

Human-wildlife conflicts affect livelihoods as well as biodiversity across many areas of society. Resolving them requires extensive knowledge of the ecology of the `problem´ species. An example is the Great Cormorant that within the last 30-40 years has increased in numbers across Europe, causing widespread conflict with anglers and fishermen. Resolving this requires detailed knowledge of how cormorants use the resources available to them. We seek a better understanding of how cormorants utilise the complex landscape they operate in during the breeding and non-breeding season.

Results and expected effects

In this study I will use innovative tracking technology to monitor geographic movement patterns and survival strategies, identify areas used for fishing, resting and migration as well as the energy used by the birds. My aim is to use this knowledge in combination with different types of monitoring tools to enable us to improve and prioritise management plans ensuring future functioning of our environment and human well-being in Sweden as well as across Europe. In-depth knowledge of the cormorant movement ecology and needs is urgently needed.

Approach and implementation

To accomplish this project data are needed from breeding areas of cormorants (in Sweden and Denmark) as well as from overwintering areas in central and southern Europe. Information on cormorant behaviour and movement patterns will be collected by deploying different types of loggers (GPS and time-depth recorders) on breeding cormorants. In addition I will also deploy long-term loggers to be collected the following year monitoring winter. I have already made contacts with collaborators at a study site in Sweden (Stockholm archipelago) and Denmark (Mågeøerne).