---
title: "No tunnel like your own tunnel: Yelkouan Shearwaters breeding in the French Hyères Archipelago prefer home"
---

# No tunnel like your own tunnel: Yelkouan Shearwaters breeding in the French Hyères Archipelago prefer home

Karen Bourgeois ([School of Biological Sciences, Auckland University](http://www.sbs.auckland.ac.nz/en.html), New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the journal [Acta Ornithologica](http://www.bioone.org/loi/aorn) on site and mate selection in the [Vulnerable](http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3937) Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan*, a candidate species for ACAP listing.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “Nest and mate choice is important in seabirds, influencing reproductive performance as both nest-site and partner quality varies.  The Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan* nests mainly in pre-existing cavities and to a lesser extent in cavities it excavates.  We have monitored breeding colonies of the Yelkouan Shearwater on two islands of the Hyères archipelago, south-east of France, for nine years to analyse nest-cavity and mate selection, to evaluate nest-cavity and mate fidelity, and to investigate their relationships with reproductive performance.  Yelkouan Shearwaters selected nest-cavities providing a high degree of concealment and protection.  Reproductive performance and fidelity to cavity were highest in deep cavities with a winding tunnel and a steep slope around the entrance. Mating was assortative for bill and tarsus measurements.  High rates of return to the same cavity (94.7%) and mate (95.5%) were recorded.  Fidelity to nest-cavity was highest when breeding succeeded the previous year (fidelity rate: 97.3% in successful breeders vs. 87.8% in unsuccessful breeders) and was most likely to result in successful breeding the same year (breeding success: 67.5% in faithful breeders vs. 43.8% in movers).  The rate of divorce was low (4.5%), did not differ between islands and was not associated with breeding performance.  However, breeding success increased by 22.2 ± 9.9% after mate change following a divorce or the absence of a previous mate.  Such high rates of nest-cavity and mate fidelity could indicate a good population status with breeding habitat, food resource and mates of good quality.”

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Shearwaters/Yelkouan/Yelkouan_Shearwater_Jrme Legrand.jpg)

 Yelkouan Shearwater, photograph by Jerome Lagrand

 With thanks to Karen Bourgeois for information.

 **Reference:**

 Bourgeois, K., Dromzée, S. & Vidal, E. 2014.  Relationships between nest-cavity and mate selection, reproductive performance and fidelity in the Mediterranean endemic Yelkouan Shearwater *Puffinus yelkouan.  [Acta Ornithologica](http://www.bioone.org/toc/aorn/49/1)*[49: 9-22](http://www.bioone.org/toc/aorn/49/1).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 10 August 2014*