Predation of Artificial and Real Arctic Loon Nests in Sweden

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Abstract
We examined whether artificial arctic loon (Gavia arctica) nests could be used to estimate predation rates on real unattended nests. In 1983 and 1984, only 3 (9%) of 34 artificial nests were preyed upon within 4 hours after they were laid out. However, if predators memorized the location of real nests and returned to prey upon unattended nests, use of artificial nests could be misleading because predators would not be aware of them. Nevertheless, only 1 of 20 nesting loon pairs was exposed to such a "specialist" predator (hooded crow, Corvus corone). Predation rates of artificial and unattended real nests appeared to be similar; only 2 (3%) of 77 incubation interruptions of .ltoreq. 1 hour led to nest predation. Thus, short disturbances of incubating arctic loons rarely led to nest failure, and protection of nests sites may be necessary only at a high frequency of disturbance.

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