Offshore refuges support higher densities and show slower population declines of wintering Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres: a response. Issue 2 (2nd April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Whittingham, Mark J.; McKenzie, Ailsa J.; Francksen, Richard M.; Feige, David; Cadwallender, Tom; Grainger, Matthew; Fazaa, Nadheer; Rhymer, Caroline; Wilkinson, Catherine; Lloyd, Pauline; Smurthwaite, Ben; Percival, Steve M.; Morris-Hale, Tammy; Rawcliffe, Clare; Dewson, Claire; Woods, Sarah; Stewart, Gavin B.; Oughton, Elizabeth
• Is Part Of: Bird study. Volume 67:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 264
• Page End: 267
• Publication Date: 2020-04-02
• Subjects: Birds -- Ecology -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Birds -- Conservation -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Birds -- Ecology -- Periodicals; Birds -- Conservation -- Periodicals; Birds -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Birds -- Geographical distribution -- Periodicals; Birds -- Counting -- Periodicals; 598.170941
• DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2020.1820447
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0006-3657

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In this reply, we confirm that the results of the original paper are robust and that our conclusions were correct: densities of Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres were lower on sites located further from undisturbed refuges. There are two points of learning here: (i) taking the findings of a paper based purely on what is published is normal but there is an unpublished iterative process for analysis that is often hidden from a reader (described here), so we refute that our results were caused by chance; (ii) we published a result based on an incorrect method in the revision process. We hope that other researchers involved in long-term projects involving large and complex datasets can learn from our mistake, as we will endeavour to do.