Response of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) to human disturbance in a suburban village in Poland

Abstract

Human-caused disturbances affect, e.g., the spatial distribution and breeding performance of most organisms, including birds. Here, we assessed the response of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) to frequent human disturbance in a large heron colony in Poland during 2009-20 12. The colony covered an area of 2.5 ha and had annually 174-220 occupied nests. We found that egg losses increased and nest occupancy decreased with an increase in the area covered by buildings nearby. The distances to the nearest building or road were not significantly related to egg losses.