Egg Success, Hatching Success, and Nest-site Selection of Brown Pelicans, Gaillard Island, Alabama, USA

摘要

We investigated factors that affect nest-site selection, egg success, and hatching success of Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) on Gaillard Island, Alabama, USA, a man-made island in Mobile Bay. Vegetation density at differing heights, and temporal and spatial variables were considered in the analysis. Brown Pelicans arriving earliest chose sites that were open on the ground, but with a layer of vegetation between 1 and 2 m above the ground. Egg success was related to arrival date, density of the highest vegetation layer, density of nests in a given area, and percentage of nests on the ground. Brown pelicans that arrived earliest appeared to choose more optimal nest-sites and had greater egg and hatching success.