Reproductive Performance of Ring-Billed Gulls in Relation to Nest Location

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Abstract
Reproductive performance was evaluated for ring-billed gulls (L. delawarensis) nesting on the periphery and in the center of a colony in northern Lake Superior in 1976 and 1977. The center and periphery of this colony were not subject to flooding, predation or differential human disturbance. Egg-laying, clutch size, hatching and fledging success, and nest attentiveness did not differ significantly between peripheral and central clutches. The colony population increased in size during the last 5 yr and stabilized, whereby peripheral and central areas are now being occupied simultaneously. Reproductive performance was related more to the timing than the location of nesting.