No detrimental effects of wing‐harnessed GPS devices on the breeding performance of Yellow‐legged Gulls (Larus michahellis): A multi‐colony evaluation

Abstract

A recent study revealed that wing‐harnessed tracking devices negatively affected reproductive success of Great Black‐backed Gulls Larus marinus. To evaluate the generality of this effect in large gulls, we investigated the reproductive performance associated with the same type of GPS‐mounted system in four Mediterranean breeding colonies of the Yellow‐legged Gull Larus michahellis in 2022. We found no significant difference in reproductive parameters among adults handled with a mounted device, adults handled with no device, and controls, and no interaction with colony of origin. The impact of the GPS harness system on short‐term reproduction is therefore not generalizable among larid species, and should be tested and reported whenever a new tracking programme is employed.