Clutch size, reproductive success, and growth rate of the little egrets Egretta garzetta

• Published in: Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University Vol. 51; no. 1
• Main Authors: Kim, J.(Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture), Koo, T.H, Oh, H.S, Mori, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.02.2006
• Subjects: GARZA; GROWTH RATE; HERON; HERONS; INDICATOR ORGANISMS; INDICE DE CRECIMIENTO; NESTING; NIDIFICACION; NIDIFICATION; ORGANISME INDICATEUR; ORGANISMOS INDICADORES; PERFORMANCE DE REPRODUCTION; REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE; REPRODUCTIVIDAD; TAUX DE CROISSANCE
• DOI: 10.5109/4723
• ISSN: 0023-6152

We studied clutch size, reproductive success and growth rate of the little egrets Egretta garzetta in three mixed species heronries in Pyongtaek, Korea, 2000. The mean clutch size of the little egrets was 3.48+-0.93 eggs, and the mean initial brood size was 2.65+-1.90 chicks, and mean final brood size was 2.86+-0.90 chicks. The initial brood size was highly significant between clutch sizes (ANOVA, p0.01), and final brood size was high difference not only between clutch sizes but also between initial brood sizes (ANOVA, p0.01). Hatching success and fledging success was highly significant between clutch sizes (ANOVA, p0.01). Growth rate between initial brood sizes, weight (ANOVA, p0.05), culmen length (ANOVA, p0.01) and wing length (ANOVA, p0.01) had significantly different. Among hatching orders per nest, culmen (ANOVA, p0.05) and wing (t-test, p0.05) length has significantly different in initial brood size 3 and in initial brood size 2, respectively. However, tarsus-length growth rate was not significant among hatching orders, and among initial brood sizes.