SPAANS AL & WIT AAN DE (1986) Short contributions: Site fidelity of Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus to breeding colony. LIMOSA 59 (1): 38-38.

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus In the Netherlands, Lesser Black-backed Gulls (1984: over 18 000 breeding pairs) are unevenly distributed along the coast (fig. 1). This distribution pattern suggests a high fidelity of birds to their breeding colony. In May-June 1984, 14 male and 13 female breeding Lesser Black-backs were colour-ringed on the isle of Terschelling, Dutch Frisian Islands. In 1985, 11 00 (79%) en 9 ~ ~ (69%) were seen again in (19) or near (1) the breeding colony. Only 58% of the colony sightings were in the former territory. The other gulls appeared to have occupied territories up to 150 m away from the 1984 sites. In several cases, the former territory was occupied either by conspecifics or by Herring Gulls Larus argentatus.

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