Description
Local Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) populations in Maine declined over 60% between 1996 and 2008, with several in-shore nesting colonies being completely abandoned (Anonymous 2008). In the same time period, Maine’s Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) population more than doubled to 450 breeding pairs which concentrate along the coast (Todd and Meehan 2010). Bald eagles living on the coast rely primarily on seabirds for food, and take advantage of the chicks of these other species for easy prey (Todd et al. 1982, Anonymous 2008). I assessed the role of Bald Eagle presence and predation in the decline of Herring Gull colonies throughout mid-coast Maine, using one island in particular to observe eagle and gull behavior.
