JCSET | Watershed Studies Institute Research Symposium
Baseline assessment of winter use of Kentucky Dam hydroelectric structure by Laridae species
Abstract/Description
Gulls (Family Laridae) remain largely understudied when compared to other avifauna. Past research on gulls has mostly focused on coastal areas along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. As such, interior sites used by gulls remain mostly unstudied. Interior permanent water-bodies such as Kentucky Lake, KY, serve as major stopover sites for gulls migrating along the Mississippi Flyway. Our objective was to gain baseline information on gull abundance at Kentucky Dam, located where large gull roosts were previously observed anecdotally. Through visual observations, a total of 6,011 gulls were observed and identified during 8 sampling periods from October 2024 through March 2025. Specifically, we observed Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) (0.02%), Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides thayeri) (0.07%), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) (0.3%), American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) (3.04%), and Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) (96.52%). Continual presence of L. fuscus as well as L. glaucoides thayeri was particularly noteworthy due to their scarcity in the state. These abundances and compositions are the highest known in Kentucky. Average abundances observed in this study were lower than observations from the Great Lakes, but are generally greater than similarly sized water-bodies in surrounding states. By demonstrating how Kentucky Dam may be a critical use area for migrating gulls, these findings help bridge a gap in the literature for interior gull populations. Additionally, this paper provides baseline estimates that warrant future research to quantify habitat quality of interior permanent water-bodies for gulls.
Baseline assessment of winter use of Kentucky Dam hydroelectric structure by Laridae species
Gulls (Family Laridae) remain largely understudied when compared to other avifauna. Past research on gulls has mostly focused on coastal areas along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. As such, interior sites used by gulls remain mostly unstudied. Interior permanent water-bodies such as Kentucky Lake, KY, serve as major stopover sites for gulls migrating along the Mississippi Flyway. Our objective was to gain baseline information on gull abundance at Kentucky Dam, located where large gull roosts were previously observed anecdotally. Through visual observations, a total of 6,011 gulls were observed and identified during 8 sampling periods from October 2024 through March 2025. Specifically, we observed Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) (0.02%), Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides thayeri) (0.07%), Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) (0.3%), American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) (3.04%), and Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) (96.52%). Continual presence of L. fuscus as well as L. glaucoides thayeri was particularly noteworthy due to their scarcity in the state. These abundances and compositions are the highest known in Kentucky. Average abundances observed in this study were lower than observations from the Great Lakes, but are generally greater than similarly sized water-bodies in surrounding states. By demonstrating how Kentucky Dam may be a critical use area for migrating gulls, these findings help bridge a gap in the literature for interior gull populations. Additionally, this paper provides baseline estimates that warrant future research to quantify habitat quality of interior permanent water-bodies for gulls.