Breeding success of little grebe, Tachybaptus ruficollis, at a wastewater treatment facility at Khon Kaen University, Thailand: The influence of human activity

Abstract

Wetlands are crucial nesting areas for the little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis). Our study was conducted at a wastewater treatment facility at Khon Kaen University in northeastern Thailand to determine whether human disturbance affected the breeding success of the birds at wastewater treatment ponds in 2011, 2012, and 2016. We found 14, 8, and 14 active nests in 2011, 2012, and 2016, respectively. The results indicated that human disturbances likely caused the grebes to shift their nest locations. In the 2011 and 2016 seasons, when human disturbance was low, the hatching success was 70%. In 2012, a weed control program at the facility resulted in the dramatic hatching reduction to 9.7%. The results also indicated that some human activities, such as predation and habitat disturbance, could have dramatic effects on the nesting success of the T. ruficollis.

Keywords

• breeding success
• human disturbance
• tachybaptus ruficollis
• wastewater treatment facility
• khon kaen university