Breeding Biology of the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis, Naumann, 1840): a Small Island Population in Southwestern Türkiye

Abstract

Urbanization and fisheries affected a rapid increase in seagull populations in western Mediterranean populations of the yellow-legged gull. The main reason is the increased food resources such as fisheries, big ports, and dumps. In this study, we aimed to understand and to compare the breeding biology of the yellow-legged gull in eastern Mediterranean. We studied on the small island in southwestern Türkiye between 2013 and 2015. All nesting sites were determined, marked, and monitored once a week. The breeding season has started in late February, nesting and laying eggs have started at the beginning of March, and they left the island in the second half of June after fledging. The incubation period is 29.17±2.85 days, only one clutch in a season and 2 or 3 eggs were laid in the nests. There was a slight increase in the number of pairs and nests between years but there is no significant difference in all parameters such as laying date, clutch size, hatching and fledging success in Pırasalı Island population and the rate of both hatching and fledging success are lower than western Mediterranean populations. While predation is the weakest factor for lower breeding success, intraspecific predation may be the factor but the main effect is the lower food abundance for the hatchlings.

Keywords

• Breeding
• fledgling
• food
• nesting
• yellow-legged gull

Project Number

2014.01.0154.001

Türkiye’nin Güneybatısında Küçük Bir Ada Populasyonu örneğinde Gümüş Martı (Larus michahellis, Naumann, 1840) Üreme Biyolojisi

Abstract

Kentleşme ve balıkçılık Gümüş martı populasyonlarının Batı Akdeniz’de hızla artmasında etkili olmuştur. Balıkçılık, büyük limanlar ve çöplükler gibi artan gıda kaynakları bu artışın ana sebepleridir. Bu çalışmada, Doğu Akdeniz’de kuluçkaya yatan Gümüş martı üreme biyolojisini belirlemek ve karşılaştırma yapmak amaçlanmıştır. Türkiye’nin güneybatısında yer alan küçük bir ada popülasyonu 2013-2015 yıllarında çalışılmıştır. Tüm yuva alanları tespit edilmiş, işaretlenmiş ve haftada bir gün izlenmiştir. Üreme dönemi Şubat ayı sonlarında başlamış, yuva yapımı ve yumurta bırakma mart ayı başlarında gerçekleşmiş ve yavruların uçmasıyla birlikte tüm popülasyon Haziran ayının ikinci yarısında adadan ayrılmıştır. Kuluçka süresi 29.17±2.85 gün, üreme döneminde sadece bir kuluçka gerçekleştirilmiş ve yuvalara 2 veya 3 yumurta bırakılmıştır. Pırasalı Adası popülasyonunda yıllar arasında çift sayıları ve yuva sayıları açısından küçük bir artış olmasına rağmen, yumurta bırakma tarihi, kuluçka sayısı, yumurtadan çıkan yavru başarısı ve yuvadan uçan yavru başarısı parametrelerinde istatistiksel anlamda bir farklılık bulunmamıştır. Yumurtadan çıkan yavru başarısı ve yuvadan uçan yavru başarısı oranları Batı Akdeniz popülasyonlarından daha düşüktür. Predasyon düşük üreme başarısı için düşük bir faktörken, tür içi predasyon belki etkili olabilir, ancak yumurtadan çıkan yavrular için düşük besin bolluğu temel etkidir.

Keywords

• Üreme başarısı
• yavru
• besin
• kuluçka
• Gümüşi martı

Supporting Institution

Akdeniz Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinasyon Birimi

Project Number

2014.01.0154.001

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