Natal philopatry, dispersal and age of first breeding in relation to size and sex of Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea)

Many seabird species are in decline and population demographic models are important for revealing the causes and developing conservation strategies. Natal and breeding dispersal are key parameters of such models but can be challenging to estimate and may vary by sex. Along the Northumberland coast, Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea nest across sites separated by distances up to 32 km. From ringing and recapture of nestling and nesting adult Arctic Terns over two decades, natal philopatry in component sites of this metapopulation was high and recruitment to a colony with managed public access was similar to nearby colonies with no public access. Mean head length of nesting birds recruited to non‐natal sites was significantly smaller than those nesting on their natal site. Sexual‐size dimorphism was used to estimate the proportions of each sex in capture samples and indicated that males were generally faithful to their natal site but up to nearly one‐third of females may have dispersed to non‐natal sites. Arctic Terns breed from 2 years of age; head‐length data indicated that breeding birds 2–4 years old were mainly female, and suggested that the first‐breeding age of males was up to 3 years older. Young breeding birds were caught later in breeding seasons than older birds. Unexpected colony abandonment can confound estimates of natal philopatry and dispersal in metapopulations. These results demonstrate the value of mark–recapture studies and indicate that sex‐specific dispersal and breeding‐age parameters will be essential components of demographic models.