Parental effort differences in Black Terns with varying clutch size.

Abstract

The black tern (Chlidonias niger) is a loosely colonial nester that breeds in marshes around the Great Lakes region and on inland small lakes with marshes. Clutch size varies between one to three eggs and juveniles take flight at approximately 25 to 30 days from hatching. During this period, parental black terns feed their growing chicks a diet of minnows, grubs, insects, and insect larvae gathered within a radius of a hundred meters from the nest. Factors such as varying clutch size and age of nestlings may influence the foraging behaviors and economic decisions made by the parental adults.