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NESTING DENSITY AND BREEDING SUCCESS IN THE HERRING GULL LARUS ARGENTATUS
Author(s) -
Parsons Jasper
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1976.tb03515.x
Subject(s) - larus , fledge , herring , herring gull , nest (protein structural motif) , hatching , biology , nesting (process) , zoology , nesting season , avian clutch size , ecology , seasonal breeder , fishery , reproduction , predation , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , materials science , metallurgy
SUMMARY The relationship between nesting density and breeding success of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus was studied on the Isle of May, Scotland, in 1968. Herring Gulls nesting at the most common density started laying earlier in the season than those nesting at lower or higher densities. Therefore, although the overall spacing of nests was uniform, the nest density of birds laying later in the season progressively approached a random distribution. The onset of laying occurred in synchronized groups within the colony. Late‐laid clutches were commonly situated on the periphery of the colony where the density of nests was lowest. When the laying period was divided into four time periods, in each period the tendancy was for birds nesting at the most common density to have the highest clutch‐size, hatching and fledging success, and to rear the most chicks per pair to fledging. In addition, birds which spaced their nests most uniformly, presumably as a consequence of territorial behaviour, were the most successful parents.