Mismatching between nest volume and clutch volume reduces egg survival and fledgling success in black-tailed gulls

Abstract

A longstanding suggestion posits that parents prefer to match nest volume and clutch size (clutch volume), but few studies have tested this in colonial seabirds that nest in the open. Here, we demonstrate the effects of nest-clutch volume matching on egg survival, hatching, and fledgling success in black-tailed gulls Larus crassirostris on Hongdo Island, Korea. We show that the volume mismatch, defined as the difference between nest volume and total egg volume (the sum of all eggs' volume in the clutch), was positively related to egg and chick mortality caused by predation, but was not significantly related to hatching success incurred by insulation during the incubation period. Although nest volume was negatively related to laying date, we found that the mismatch was positively related to laying date. Our results support the claim that well-matched nest-clutch volume may contribute to survival of eggs and chicks, and ultimately breeding success.