Naturalist Presentation: Impacts of terrestrial mammals on island nesting Leach’s Storm-Petrel

Leach’s Storm Petrel, photo courtesy of Yaquina Birders & Naturalists

Seabirds are often thought of belonging to the isolated domain of the remote ocean – but throughout southern Oregon, hundreds of thousands of nesting Leach's storm-petrels must share the coastline with a diversity of terrestrial carnivores each summer. Anecdotal observations from the past few decades suggest that certain mammals actively hunt storm-petrels at their colony islands, but the exact impact of these predators is poorly understood. As the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge moves towards a more proactive management strategy on the south coast, in-depth research on carnivore behavior at these sites is necessary to inform future decision making. Luke Stuntz will present about ongoing research into the predatory behavior of river otters and mink at several important seabird colonies in Curry County, and how preliminary results will guide the development of an active predator management plan for these islands.  

Luke Stuntz is a graduate student in Wildlife Science at Oregon State University studying the predation of seabirds by native terrestrial carnivores along the coast of southern Oregon. Luke joined the Seabird Oceanography Lab in 2022 as a complete novice in the world of seabird ecology, but his expertise and experience in carnivore behavior has allowed for an exciting collaboration between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the OSU project team. He is very passionate about direct conservation applications of observation-based research in animal behavior, and he hopes to move into a career in protected land management.

MEETING LOCATION:
OSU Extension Lincoln County
*Meeting Upstairs*
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365