The availability of breeding sites for some british seabirds

Abstract

On a stretch of Aberdeenshire sea-cliff whose physical characteristics were criti-cally evaluated in relation to the nesting requirements of Shags, Kittiwakes, Guillemots, Razorbills and Fulmars, there were many unused but apparently adequate breeding sites. Unused sites were located within, near to and outside existing nesting groups. For each of these species, breeding success was similar across the whole range of sites used; sites were not divisible into ‘good’ and in-ferior’. These breeding populations were not, apparently, limited by shortage of sites. A priori, a similar situation may apply to many other British seabird breeding areas. There was some interchange of sites between species, perhaps indicating that under population pressure, interspecific competition could be a factor in limiting the less dominant species. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.