Fall colony attendance and breeding success in the common murre

• Main Authors: Harris, M. P., Wanless, S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Zoology; Common Murre; Uria aalge; uria
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/4528/; http://www.jstor.org/stable/1368157

The visits of Common Murres (Uria aalge) to breeding sites were documented in each October 1982-1987. Individually-marked birds almost invariably returned to their own breeding sites. There was no evidence that immatures, or adults from other colonies, visited the colony. The most frequently occupied sites were those which had been successful the previous season. The numbers of visits to sites increased with increasing numbers of neighbors and were higher for sites in the center of the cliff than for sites at the top and bottom. Blocking sites for 4 months did not prevent birds breeding the next season. Fall colony visiting could be explained by (a) competition for the best sites, or (b) birds returning to maintain the pair bond.