Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Coulson J.C. & Demevergnies G.N. (1992) Where do young Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla breed, philopatry or dispersal. ARDEA 80 (1): 187-197
The extent to which Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla return to their colony of birth to breed (philopatry) and the distance moved by emigrating individuals has been investigated using a method of direct observation and ringing recoveries. It is estimated that 36% of the young are philopatric, and these are mainly males. A further 43% breed in another colony within 100 km of the colony of birth. There are only a few young birds which recruit 100-400 km from their natal colony, but a second peak of recoveries occurs 400-900 km away, a pattern which is supported by cases of new Kittiwake colonies being founded at this range of distances from the nearest established colony. Birds which emigrate more than 100 km show a marked tendency to be south, rather than north of their natal colony. It is suggested that the previously held view that philopatry was virtually total in colonial seabirds is now untenable, arising out of biased observations. The fact that many young seabirds move to another colony raises a series of important questions. In particular, virtually nothing is known about the mechanism which attracts young birds to established colonies and this is an important field for new studies and has considerable importance in conservation and control of colonies.


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