Audouin's Gulls Larus audouinii Affected by Sublingual Fistulas

Abstract

Injuries have the potential to influence individual behaviour, reproduction and/or survival. One of the least frequently observed and least known injuries in birds is sublingual fistulation, which has only been reported in four species to date. Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii is now added to this list. Based on periodical re-sightings of darvic-ringed gulls at four Mediterranean sites, the prevalence of this injury in Audouin's Gulls was estimated to be 0.13%. No negative effects of fistulas on short-term survival of injured birds were reported; the minimum survival period was 999 days. However, our findings should be treated cautiously because of the low detected incidence of this injury in free-living birds.