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Mating patterns and breeding success in gulls of the Larus glaucescens-occidentalis complex, Protection Island, Washington, USA.
Northwestern Naturalist (2013)
  • Andre E Moncrieff, Andrews University
  • Libby C Megna, Andrews University
  • James L Hayward, Andrews University
  • Shandelle M. Henson, Andrews University
Abstract
Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) and Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) are found along the Pacific Coast of North America. Where their breeding ranges overlap in Oregon and Washington they hybridize, producing a continuum of phenotypic variation. Whereas most colonies containing these hybrids are found on islands along the coast, several, including a large colony at Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, WA, USA, are located in the Salish Sea. In 2010, we scored the phenotypes of 81 gull pairs at the Protection Island colony using an index based on plumage melanism and bare-part coloration. We also monitored the breeding success of these pairs. Gulls from the entire range of phenotypes in the L. glaucescens-occidentalis complex bred on the colony, although most gulls appeared more like L. glaucescens. Significant assortative mating based on colorimetric phenotype occurred on the colony, but a low number of L. occidentalis-type pairs appeared primarily responsible for this trend. Although the mass of the 3rd egg in the clutch was significantly smaller for pairs with increasingly L. occidentalis-like males, we observed no significant difference in hatching success or clutch size across the range of phenotypes.
Keywords
  • assortative mating,
  • breeding success,
  • egg size,
  • Glaucous-winged Gull,
  • hybridization,
  • Larus glaucescens,
  • Larus occidentalis,
  • mating patterns,
  • Protection Island,
  • Washington,
  • Western Gull
Disciplines
Publication Date
2013
Publisher Statement
Retrieved September 2, 2014 from http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1898/12-16.1
Citation Information
Andre E Moncrieff, Libby C Megna, James L Hayward and Shandelle M. Henson. "Mating patterns and breeding success in gulls of the Larus glaucescens-occidentalis complex, Protection Island, Washington, USA." Northwestern Naturalist Vol. 94 Iss. 1 (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/shandelle_henson/4/