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In search of the gap: temporal and spatial dynamics of settling in natal common tern recruits

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Abstract

In colonial birds, criteria used for the first choice of a nest site and its temporal and spatial dynamics are rarely studied. This paper addresses first settlement of natal recruits in common terns Sterna hirundo at a stable colony site subdivided into six islands of equal size and habitat. Using extensive individual-based data of aged and sexed individuals with known recruitment age, I focus on timing of laying, island selection in relation to density and centrality, and movements after first breeding. Recruits’ laying date was timed between that of experienced and replacement breeders. The proportion of early clutches, density, and age of breeders were higher at the islands’ edge (the preferred area), whereas late clutches predominated at the center. Sixty-eight percent of recruits settled at the center and only 32 % at the islands’ edge. With advancing age, breeders shifted nest sites from the island center towards the edge. In 7 out of 18 years, annual recruit numbers were not evenly distributed among the islands. Density did not affect island selection, but in years with low numbers of recruits, their aggregation was more distinct. Recruits’ preference of a specific island rarely lasted more than 2 years. Depletion of the central area in the year after recruitment initially attracted new recruits before succeeding cohorts switched to another island. The dynamics of recruits’ settlement indicate diverging tendencies of attracting or repelling recruits at a specific subcolony, affected by group adherence and cohort size, density, and advancing laying date with age and shifts of nest sites towards the preferred subcolony periphery.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all coworkers, candidates, and field assistants involved in the common tern project since 1992, especially my technical assistants Martin Wagener and Götz Wagenknecht and my former PhD candidates Christina Bauch, María Benito, Alexander Braasch, Tobias Dittmann, Thomas Ezard, Germán García, Bente Limmer, Sonja Ludwig, Jan-Dieter Ludwigs, Juliane Riechert, Lesley Szostek, Helmut Wendeln, and He Zhang. The studies profited from the constant electronic and technical support of Rolf Nagel, Gregor Scheiffarth, Jens Trauernicht, and Marco Waßmann. Joka Bojic, Rahel Borrmann, and Marie Stiegler helped in preparing some figures. I thank Franz Bairlein, Sandra Bouwhuis, John Coulson, Lesley Szostek, Ian Nisbet, and an anonymous referee for their helpful comments in improving the manuscript. This project was performed under license of Bezirksregierung Weser-Ems and Stadt Wilhelmshaven and was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG; BE 916/3 to 9).

Ethical standards

The study complied with the laws of Germany and was done under license of “Bezirksregierung Weser-Ems,” “Stadt Wilhelmshaven,” and “Nds. Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit Oldenburg.”

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  1. Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany

    Peter H. Becker

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Communicated by C. R. Brown

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Becker, P.H. In search of the gap: temporal and spatial dynamics of settling in natal common tern recruits. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 69, 1415–1427 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1954-5

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