Nesting site preference and hatching success of the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) in the Nakdong Estuary, Busan, Republic of Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine clutch size and habitat usage of Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding on Sinja-do Islet in the Nakdong Estuary from 22 April to 12 July in 1995 and from 21 April to 20 June in 1996. The Kentish plover preferred grasslands and damp sands to dry dunes as nesting sites. The difference in hatching success among these microhabitats was attributed to high tides, which washed away many nests on damp sands, and strong winds, which frequently shifted the sand to bury eggs on dry dunes. The main mortality factor in grasslands was predation by magpies Pica pica. Each clutch contained one to four eggs, with a mode of three eggs. Hatching success was highest in two-egg clutches and lowest in one- and four-egg clutches. The mean interval for egg laying was 1.8 days between the first and second eggs and 2.1 days between the second and third eggs. The average incubation period was about 24.2 days.