The Effect of Clutch Size on Egg and Hatchling Mass and Measurements in the Common Coot Fulica atra

Abstract

Studies were conducted in 2008 on Poyrazlar Lake, located in NW Turkey The clutch size of the Common Coot Fulica atra varied from 3 to 14. The mean clutch size was 6.6 +/- 0.34 (N=23 clutches). The clutch size increased with the increase of nest distance from the edge of the Lake. As the clutch size increased, the average egg mass decreased. With the increase of clutch size, the egg diameter and egg perimeter slightly increased but, there was no correlation between these parameters. Out of 66 marked and measured eggs, 54 (81.8%) hatched, 5 (7.6%) were unfertile, and 7 (10.6%) were lost. There was a positive correlation between the egg mass and hatchling mass, hatchling length, beak length, and leg length.