Variation in the size of Buller's albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) eggs

Abstract

The effect of minimum maternal experience, individual and year on egg size variation, breeding success and sex of the surviving chick were investigated in Buller's albatrosses (Thalassarche bulleri) breeding at the Snares Islands. Minimum maternal experience and individual effects were studied over the 9 years 1996-2004, while a second set of data allowed inter-annual variation in egg size to be investigated over 4 additional years (1961, 1969, 1970, and 1993). Egg length, breadth, volume and eccentricity did not vary between years, but all four variables varied significantly between individuals. The size of eggs laid by one individual varied less than the variation across the population as a whole. Egg volume increased with minimum maternal breeding experience, mainly because eggs became broader but not longer, up to the fourth breeding attempt. There was a weak positive relationship Z04044; Online publication date 4 August 2005 Received 22 December 2004 accepted 31 March 2005 between egg size and breeding success, but this correlation was confounded by maternal breeding experience. Breeding success decreased markedly among birds with >20 years breeding experience. There was no relationship between egg size and the sex of the resulting chick. The significant effects of minimum breeding experience and individual on egg size appear to be typical of seabirds. However, unlike other studies of egg size in albatrosses, we did not detect any between-year effects, perhaps because the experience of the breeding population changed little during the study period.

Spatial variation in egg size of a top predator: Interplay of body size and environmental factors?

“…Barbraud et al, 1999;Forero et al, 2002b). Differences in egg size between Mallorca and We found no significant variation in egg size among years, in agreement with data available for single-egg systems (i.e., Procellariiformes: Brooke, 1990;Mougin, 1998;Sagar et al, 2005; but see Croxall et al, 1992;Weidinger, 1996;Michel et al, 2003). Nevertheless, temporal variability affected the breeding performance of Balearic shearwaters, presumably related to temporal stochasticity of prey density (see also Louzao et al, 2006a).…”

“…Egg size may increase to a threshold value associated with parental quality (e.g. age and breeding experience, see Brooke, 1990;Michel et al, 2003;Sagar et al, 2005). When egg size increases with maternal body size (Michel et al, 2003) a genetic component may be involved in egg size determination, although this relationship is not always clear within birds in general (Christians, 2002) and Procellariiformes in particular (Mougin, 1998).…”

A morphometric method of sexing white layer eggs

“…Similarly, Rutkowska & Cichon (2005) found that sex of the zebra finches offspring was not related to egg mass. Sagar et al (2005) found that in Buller's albatross (Thalassarche bulleri) egg size had no detectable influence on resulting chick sex. Meathrel & Ryder (1987) in a study of ring-billed gulls (Larus dela warensis) also determined that egg size and mass could not be used to predict chick sex, although in some seasons chick sex was related to egg sequence in completed clutches of three eggs.…”

“…Meathrel & Ryder (1987) in a study of ring-billed gulls (Larus dela warensis) also determined that egg size and mass could not be used to predict chick sex, although in some seasons chick sex was related to egg sequence in completed clutches of three eggs. Several authors (Sagar et al, 2005;Burnham et al, 2003) found that Larger Peregrine Falcon chicks hatched from larger eggs but there was no relationship between chick mass at hatching and sex of chicks.…”

Brood‐guarding duration in black‐browed albatrossesThalassarche melanophris: temporal, geographical and individual variation

“…Both the ‘food availability’ and the ‘adult quality’ hypotheses predict that if a seasonal decline in brood‐guarding duration is found, other variables dependent on food allocation to offspring, such as chick growth/condition and chick survival probability should also display a seasonal decline. Furthermore, if the ‘adult quality hypothesis’ is correct, we might predict that a) brood‐guarding duration should correlate with egg size (an indicator of female quality in albatrosses; Croxall et al 1992, Sagar et al 2005), b) brood‐guarding duration should correlate with past breeding performance (another indicator of adult quality; Cobley et al 1998) and that c) inexperienced birds should brood‐guard chicks for shorter periods than more experienced individuals.…”