ABSTRACT Capsule: Non-breeding waterbirds are more likely to respond to drone approach when in larger flocks, and responses are more likely in arable and coastal habitats than at inland lochs. Aims: To investigate the extent to which drones are a potential source of disturbance to non-breeding waterbirds. Methods: Using a commercially available quadcopter drone, we approached waterbird flocks of varying sizes in coastal, freshwater, and arable habitats following a standardized protocol. Results: Waterbirds at coastal sites and in arable fields were more likely to respond to drone approach than those at inland freshwater bodies. Larger flocks were more likely to respond to drone approach and responded at a greater distance than smaller flocks. Conclusion: Repeated drone use at coastal and arable sites with large aggregations of feeding or roosting waterbirds could cause energetically costly flight responses, increased stress, and effective loss of available habitat. At such sites, it may be beneficial to regulate recreational and commercial drone use to minimize potential disturbance effects.

中文翻译：

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非繁殖水鸟对无人机接近的行为反应与鸡群大小和栖息地有关

摘要：非繁殖水鸟在成群结队时更有可能对无人机的接近做出反应，而且在可耕地和沿海栖息地中的反应比在内陆湖泊中更有可能。目的：调查无人机对非繁殖水鸟的潜在干扰源的程度。方法：使用商用四轴飞行器无人机，我们按照标准化协议在沿海、淡水和可耕地栖息地接近了不同大小的水鸟群。结果：沿海地区和耕地的水鸟比内陆淡水水体的水鸟更可能对无人机接近做出反应。较大的鸡群更有可能对无人机接近做出反应，并且比较小的鸡群反应距离更远。结论：在有大量觅食或栖息水鸟的沿海和可耕地重复使用无人机可能会导致耗能巨大的飞行反应、压力增加和可用栖息地的有效丧失。在这些地点，管制娱乐和商业无人机的使用以最大程度地减少潜在的干扰影响可能是有益的。