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Home ยป Egg Breakage and Breeding Failure in British Merlins
Egg Breakage and Breeding Failure in British Merlins
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication: | 1973 |
| Authors: | Newton, I |
| Journal: | Bird Study |
| Volume: | 20 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| Date Published: | 1973 |
| ISBN Number: | 0006-3657 |
| Keywords: | Accipiter, Accipiter nisus, Aesalon columbarius, Falco, Falco columbarius, Falco peregrinus, Nisus, Rhynchodon peregrinus |
| Abstract: | Though breeding on remote moorlands, the Merlin moves to lowland areas for the winter, and is there exposed to contamination by pesticides. An examination of the nest record cards reveals a similar pattern of breeding failure to that reported for the Peregrine and Sparrowhawk in recent years. Losses of part and even whole clutches after the start of incubation, combined with egg-breakage, egg-shell thinning, and the presence of residues in the eggs, show that this small falcon is gravely at risk.Though breeding on remote moorlands, the Merlin moves to lowland areas for the winter, and is there exposed to contamination by pesticides. An examination of the nest record cards reveals a similar pattern of breeding failure to that reported for the Peregrine and Sparrowhawk in recent years. Losses of part and even whole clutches after the start of incubation, combined with egg-breakage, egg-shell thinning, and the presence of residues in the eggs, show that this small falcon is gravely at risk. |
| URL: | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00063657309476387 |
| Short Title: | Bird Study |
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical):
Ed Baker,
Katherine Bouton
Alice Heaton
Dimitris Koureas,
Laurence Livermore,
Dave Roberts,
Simon Rycroft,
Ben Scott,
Vince Smith