ABSTRACT

For a group of birds with similar life-history characteristics (deferred onset of breeding, long life, small clutch size, slow growth), seabirds live in a highly diverse variety of environments in their worldwide distribution. They experience the full gamut of weather patterns, whether daily, seasonally, annually, or on greater scales, and these patterns affect their survival, their habitat, their food supply, their ability to feed, and, thus, the continuing evolution of their species.