Patterns of territory settlement and consequences for breeding success in the Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

We examined the pattern of territory settlement and its consequences for breeding success in the Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe on Bardsey Island, Wales, during the breeding seasons of 1991‐93. Males returned earlier than females, and older males returned earlier than first‐year breeders. Although their boundaries shifted between years, the general location of territories was consistent during the three‐year study. There was a high degree of fidelity to area and territory between years for both sexes. The order of territory settlement, from which a territory rank was calculated, was highly consistent for males between years irrespective of individual settlement patterns and territory fidelity. Patterns of territory settlement were less predictable for females, although there was a significant correlation between the mean territory ranks of paired males and females. There was a male‐biased sex ratio in each year, and between 5% and 26% of males remained unpaired throughout the breeding season. Male mating status and breeding success were dependent on arrival date, territory rank and breeding density. Early‐arriving, usually older, males were able to settle on territories first and were more likely to pair, while later‐arriving individuals were more likely to remain unmated. These effects were consistent between years, and consequently territories could be classified as either preferred (accounting for proportionately more breeding attempts) or non‐preferred. Territory quality as opposed to individual quality appeared to explain much of the variation in breeding success, and both sexes benefited by breeding on preferred territories through enhanced breeding success and an increased probability that their offspring would be recruited to the population.