HABITAT REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION BY KELP GULLS (LARUS DOMINICANUS) IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA

We analyzed habitat requirements and selection of Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) breeding at 68 colonies along 2,500 km of coastline in Patagonia, Argentina. Kelp Gulls use a wide range of nesting habitats that include areas with shrub, grass, and herbs which provide different degrees of cover; open ground of various substrate types; and slopes of widely different gradients, confirming the plasticity of the species with respect to habitat recorded elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Eighty percent of the colonies were on islands, the probability of occupation of which increased with distance from mainland and availability of vegetation. Vegetation cover was a key component of nesting habitat for Kelp Gulls in Argentina. Gulls occupied areas with higher cover than random areas; but within vegetated areas, they showed preference for sparser cover that increased visibility and facilitated escape. Kelp Gulls often nested with other species of seabirds and seals and had a positive association with the Olrog's Gull (L. atlanticus).