Keedwell and Sanders (2002): Nest monitoring and predator visitation at nests of banded dotterels.

Keedwell, R.J., and Sanders, M.D. 2002. Nest monitoring and predator visitation at nests of banded dotterels. The Condor 104: 899–902.

We used video cameras to monitor nests of the banded dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus), to test whether conven-tional nest monitoring increased the chances of nests being visited by predators. We compared the predator visitation rates to 22 video-monitored nests, which were approached on foot daily to simulate conventional monitoring, with that of 17 nests that were monitored using video cameras only. Predator visitation rates did not differ, nor was there any evidence that predators used human scent trails to locate nests. This study provides evidence that monitoring banded dotterel nests by regularly checking them does not influence their risk of predation.