Second-Wave Nesting of the California Least Tern: Age Composition and Reproductive Success
Massey BW and Atwood JL. 1981. Second-Wave Nesting of the California Least Tern: Age Composition and Reproductive Success. The Auk. 98(3):596-605
The nesting season of the California Least Tern (Sterna albifrons browni) has often been characterized by two waves of nesting, but the composition of the later wave and reasons for its occurrence have not been well understood. In 1980, a group of late-nesting birds, many of them banded and color-banded, presented a unique opportunity for study. Most of the banded birds were identified as 2-yr-old terns nesting for the first time; several were older, renesting pairs that had failed earlier at a colony close by. The chronology of the second wave, age composition, clutch size, behavior of 2-yr-old parents, fledging success, and postfledging dispersion were documented. Implications of these new data are discussed. Received 20 October 1980, accepted 13 February 1981.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Massey, Barbara; Atwood, Jonathan
- Units
- CACO
- Keywords
- Behavior, Birds, Least Tern