| Increasing reproductive success is a common management goal for conservation of at risk species. For ground-nesting shorebirds, such as the threatened Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), the use of nest exclosures has proven to be a successful strategy to increase nest success. While exclosures may boost hatching success, it is suspected that intelligent predators (e.g., Common Raven, Corvus corax) may learn that protected eggs soon hatch to produce nidifugous chicks, which are easily depredated upon leaving the exclosure. We asked if ravens can be habituated to exclosures such that plover productivity increases without compromising adults or newly hatched chicks. Using tracks as an indicator of activity, we assessed whether ravens displayed signs of habituation to exclosures with prolonged exposure. We saturated an area of beach with historically high corvid activity with artificial plover nests protected by "mini-exclosures," which we sampled at 2-day intervals for 5 consecutive months. Here, I will present our results and discuss management challenges, implications, and proposed options for the future. |