Mortality of Resident Birds at Pillar Point Harbor is Associated with Harsh Storm Events
Author: Jennifer D'Ambrosio
Faculty Supervisor: Jaime Chaves
Department: Biology
Pillar Point Harbor is home to a variety of bird species including the resident species, Brandt Cormorant and Common Murre. Unfortunately, beached birds are a common sighting due to multiple factors, including harsh storm events. However, it is unknown which resident avian species at Pillar Point Harbor are most impacted by harsh storms events. Mortality records from Query Beach Watch data will provide the species, location and specimen count from 1993 to 2024. Comparing beached bird data from Pillar Point Harbor to weather data on the recorded recovery dates of these birds will show the association between these variables. The logged data from beach watch shows that the two species who have the highest rates of mortality between 1993 and 2024 are the Brandt Cormorant and the Common Murre. Understanding the connection between harsh climate events and mortality among resident birds at Pillar Point Harbor will provide crucial insight on the fitness of these birds and how to help conserve these species.