Hammouda, A., Hamza, F., Ayadi, T., Pearce-Duvet, J. & Selmi, S. (2016). Assortative mating for carotenoid colouration but not size in the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis. Bird Study 63: 289–292. doi: 10.1080/00063657.2016.1185087
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Abstract:
Mediterranean Yellow-legged GullsYellow-legged Gulls mate assortatively according to carotenoid-based colouration but not in relation to size
In conclusion, our results suggest that carotenoid-based colouration plays a more important role in mate choice than does body size in Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls. However, these results might have been impacted by the study’s small sample size. Moreover, our data are descriptive in nature and reveal nothing about potential underlying processes. We thus believe that additional studies involving larger data sets obtained from marked birds and field experiments are necessary to clarify mate choice mechanisms in this species.
North African Birds 