The breeding biology of two Lake Erie herring gull colonies

Abstract

The breeding biology of two Lake Erie herring gull colonies was studied from 1973 to 1976, emphasizing effects of clutch size and time of clutch initiation on reproductive success. In 1976, incubation attention of two-egg and three-egg clutches started early and late in the season was measured with a 20-pen event recorder. Chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in eggs were assessed in 2 years. Nest density was greater, clutch initiation more synchronized, and hatching success higher at one of the colonies. Hatching success and fledging success were independent of clutch size bin early nesters were more successful than late nesters. Differences in hatching success between two-egg and three-egg clutches were a function of time of clutch initiation such that the clutch size with the greater proportion of its nests in the early period had a higher hatching success. The reproductive success of the Lake Erie colonies was intermediate among rates reported for other Great Lakes colonies but below those of most eastern North American or European colonies. There were no significant differences in the incubation attention between two-egg clutches and three-egg clutches or between early and late three-egg clutches. Most clutches were incubated greater than 95% of the time although clutches incubated less than 75% realized the same hatching success.