Clutch size and breeding success of Black-tailed Gulls (Larus crassirostris) at Hongdo Island, southeast coast at South Korea

We studied variation in clutch size, hatching, fledging and breeding success of the Black-tailed Gull (larus crassirostris) at Hongdo Island, which supported the largest breeding colony of the species, in South Korea in 1997 and 2000 to 2003. Clutch size was recorded in 1,388 nests and breeding success was estimated in 83 nests. Mean clutch size was 1.89 ± 0.68. A total of 63.9% of the eggs hatched and 53.5% of the chicks survived until fledged. Breeding success was 34.2%. Causes of breeding failure were eggs missing (14.9%), rotten eggs (15.5%) and predation (2.4%) during the incubation period and chicks missing (35.8%), starvation (7.4%) and pecked chicks (3.2%) during the chick rearing period. In 2002, the main causes of breeding failure were eggs missing (17.2%) and rotten eggs (6.9%) during the incubation period and missing chicks (15.5%), starvation (3.5%) and pecked chicks (6.9%) diring the chick rearing period. Most chick mortality occurred within three days after hatching.