Colony and Nest Site Selection in Laughing Gulls in Response to Tidal Flooding

We examined colony and nest site selection in Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla)from 1976 to 1979 in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Laughing Gulls nested predominantly in Spartina alterniflora on low salt marsh islands. In 1978, the gulls shifted colony locations to higher islands that contained a higher percentage of S. patens and Phragmites. The gulls nested on spoil areas which were slightly higher in elevation. Differential nesting success occurred as a function of habitat because of high tides in early July which wiped out all nests in S. alterniflora and most of those in S. patens. Chick survival varied as a function of vegetation type. We propose that all larid species exhibit site tenacity because they return to former sites even if they eventually shift locations. Further, we suggest that each species chooses from a wide range of potential colony and nest sites depending upon local conditions and proximate environmental cues.