Influencia de los vertederos en los desplazamientos y la distribución costera de las gaviotas

Resum

Influence of refuse tips on movements and on coastal distributioin of gulls
From October 1988 to March 1989 seven day-long counts were made of gulls returning to the coast from the refuse tip at Santiago de Compostela city where the gulls had been feeding. Maximum counts of more than 6,000 Larus cachinnans / fuscus gulls were recorded in January and February. The gulls’ retuin to coast was concentrated during the last two hours before nightfall. Urban waste production appears to be a major factor influencing the distribution of gulls wintering on the coast. This study indicates that zones which show the highest densities of human population also support the largest concentrations of gulls.