First confirmed record of a Common Tern<i>Sterna hirundo</i>breeding at one year of age

Arnold, Jennifer M.; Oswald, Stephen A.

doi:10.1080/00063657.2013.768590

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It should also be noted that the usurpation may have been influenced by the young age of the Common Tern pair, given the known age bird was two years old. Though Common Terns have been found to breed as young as one year old [19], most do not breed until three years of age [20,21]. Given the age of this Common Tern pair, this late-season nesting was likely their first breeding attempt of the season (no previous attempts were observed), though this cannot be confirmed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Usurpation and Brooding of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Chicks by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo)

Sullivan,

Irons,

Treadway

et al. 2023

Diversity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While nest usurpation and subsequent incubation of eggs and even brooding of chicks from other species has been reported for Common Terns (Sterna hirundo), such behavior is considered rare. We report an observation of a Common Tern pair usurping the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) nest and brooding the Least Tern chicks. While the Least Tern pair attempted to provide care for the chicks, the Common Terns displayed aggressive behavior and defended the nest. Though both species attempted to feed the chicks, no feeding events were observed due to harassment from the other species. Neither pair was observed nesting prior to or following this event, and all chicks are believed to have been lost to predation. We discuss the possible scenarios leading to the observed usurpation event, the possibility that usurpations are more common than previously believed, and the need for different monitoring methods to elucidate the causes of usurpations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Usurpation and Brooding of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Chicks by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo)

Sullivan,

Irons,

Treadway

et al. 2023

Diversity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One of these birds had typical breeding plumage for three years, and then during one breeding season, it had a white forehead but no other characteristics of non-breeding plumage. Recent findings indicate that plumage chronology may be flexible, perhaps under hormonal control which may also lead to early body feather moult as a result of failed breeding, which may occur early in the breeding season (Braasch & García 2012, Arnold & Oswald 2013, Arnold et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abnormal Plumage in Adult Common Terns Sterna hirundo during the Breeding Season

Kiat

Mayrose

Schekler

2022

Ardea

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Some bird species change their plumage colour on a seasonal basis, mostly between cryptic non-breeding plumage and conspicuous breeding plumage. Adult Common Terns Sterna hirundo moult their body feathers twice each year, resulting in two types of plumages, those typical to breeding and non-breeding seasons, which exhibit minor differences in the colours of some feathers, as well as the bare parts. Here, we report evidence of an abnormal plumage in adult Common Terns (sometimes referred to as ‘portlandica’), with two individuals exhibiting non-breeding like plumage during the breeding season. These terns were documented in a breeding colony in Northern Israel. This report could lead to future research into the causes and consequences of plumage maturation avoidance in adult birds.

show abstract

Conservation implications of long-distance migration routes: Regional metapopulation structure, asymmetrical dispersal, and population declines

Szczys

Oswald

Arnold

2017

Biological Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

First confirmed record of a Common TernSterna hirundobreeding at one year of age

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Usurpation and Brooding of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Chicks by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo)

Usurpation and Brooding of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Chicks by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo)

Abnormal Plumage in Adult Common Terns Sterna hirundo during the Breeding Season

Conservation implications of long-distance migration routes: Regional metapopulation structure, asymmetrical dispersal, and population declines

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About