The karoro Larus dominicanus in northern Aotearoa | New Zealand: diet and evidence of changing trophic position from regurgitated pellets and stable isotope analysis of contemporary and historic feathers and bones
Coastal seabirds are valuable indicators of ecological change in nearshore marine systems impacted by human activities. This study examined how human population growth and urban expansion have influenced the long-term dietary patterns of karoro (southern black-backed gull Larus dominicanus) in Auckland, Aotearoa | New Zealand. Specifically, we assessed whether increasing urbanisation has led to a dietary shift from marine-based prey to greater reliance on terrestrial and anthropogenic food sources.