Egg survival is related to the colour matching of eggs to nest background in Black-tailed Gulls |
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Authors: | Who-Seung Lee Young-Soo Kwon and Jeong-Chil Yoo |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology and The Korea Institute of Ornithology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 130-701, South Korea;(2) Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK;(3) Present address: Korea National Park, National Park Research Institute, 16-1, Hogyeong-ri, Jucheon-myeon, Namwon-si, Jeollabuk-do, 590-811, South Korea |
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Abstract: | A long-standing hypothesis posits that, for species with exposed nests, a close match between the colour of the eggs and that
of the nest in which they are laid should enhance egg survival, but this has rarely been tested in a rigorous manner. Here,
we demonstrate the effects of egg–nest colour matching on egg survival in Black-tailed Gulls (Larus crassirostris) on Hongdo Island, Korea. We quantified the ground colour of eggshells and that of the nest background using a digital camera
and computerized RGB and greyscale colour systems. We show that a close match of eggshell ground colour and nest background
colour was associated with increased chances of eggs surviving through to hatching. In particular, there were strong survival
advantages for eggs matching the nest colour in sites with poor concealment, whereas there was no effect of eggshell ground
colour in nests that were more concealed by vegetation. Our findings support the hypothesis that egg colour functions to make
eggs cryptic and that egg colouration may be a significant factor affecting egg loss. |
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