Observation series

SEDERISSA

Black-legged Kittiwakes

SEDERISSA is a long-term demographic monitoring of black-legged kittiwake populations that has maintained several objectives since 1979

Fragmented population dynamics and habitat selection

The localities used by this species to reproduce varied greatly during the course of the study, revealing highly dynamic communicating vessels between colonies, and phenomena of local extinction and colonisation of new localities or recolonisation. The determinants of individual decisions leading to these movements, the consequences in terms of local and global dynamics are studied, as well as the viability of this population. In particular, this population has seen a considerable reduction in the number of localities used over the last 40 years, which raises the question of the impact of the disappearance of alternative localities on the overall viability of the population. Interactions with other species (competition, predation) are also studied.

Evolution of life stories

Individuals manage to produce a highly variable number of chicks during their lifetime. The determinants of this production are studied, both individual determinants (age of entry into reproduction) and factors linked to the dynamics of this fragmented population (desertion of colonies, presence of predators considerably reducing the possibility of producing young).

Phenology

In a context of global change, migration and reproduction phenology is studied in order to identify correlations with environmental factors, to assess the degree of plasticity of individuals, and ultimately to evaluate possible evolutionary responses.

The site

Breeding colonies of the black-legged kittiwake in the Iroise Sea (from Groix to Ouessant).
Colonies still active in 2022:
- Pointe du Raz (48° 02′ 25″ N, 4° 44′ 28″ W)
- Pointe du Van (48° 03′ 52″ N, 4° 42′ 54″ W)

Monitoring

Demographic monitoring of the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) population in the Iroise Sea (SEDERISSA).

This monitoring programme started in 1979 and is based on colour-coded tagged individuals giving them a unique identity (over 20,000 tagged individuals). The monitoring starts in January when the return of the winter migration starts, and lasts until the end of the breeding season in August (departure on migration).

The data collected are typical of individual level monitoring in population ecology, population dynamics, and behavioural ecology.

Access to data

Data from the Black-legged Kittiwake series can be accessed via the portal of the Centre de Recherche sur la Biologie des Populations d’Oiseaux (CRBPO), at the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris)

Access to the CRBPO ringing and bird movement data consultation interface

Publications

The data from the SEDERISSA series have been the subject of numerous scientific publications.

List of publications related to this follow-up

SEDERISSA – black-legged kittiwakes

In pictures

All photographs are by Olivier NORMANT.

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The team | Contacts

Emmanuelle CAM

Responsible for

Paul Acker, Center for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Matthieu Authier, PELAGIS Observatory, Research Engineer, La Rochelle University
Etienne Danchin, CNRS Research Director Emeritus, Evolution & Biological Diversity Laboratory
Jean-Yves Monnat, the memory and engineering of the project, retired academic (Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France), initiator of the project in 1979 (authorisation at the Centre de Recherche sur la Biologie des Populations d’oiseaux, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle)
Many students, collaborators, trainees, volunteers (> 150, in particular Jacques Nisser and Morgane Huteau of long standing).