Growth of Guillemot Uria aalge Chicks in Relation to Time of Hatching

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Abstract
On the island of Stora Karlso [Sweden], the Baltic Sea, the fledging weight of guillemot chicks decreased gradually after the peak of fledging. To find the cause of the decline, data were collected on egg size, chick growth, feeding rate and fledging age of chicks in pairs breeding at normal time and pairs whose breeding was experimentally delayed by egg removal. Replacement eggs were about 6% smaller than 1st eggs, but no difference in hatching weight was found between normal and late chicks. No differences were found in fledging age and feeding rate between the 2 categories. Late chicks grew significantly more slowly than normal chicks, and at age 18-21 days, weighed on average only 222 g compared with 256 g for normal chicks. A seasonal deterioration in food quality in combination with a decreased availability of the prey could be responsible for the lower growth rate in late chicks.

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