@misc{01KQ7SZJVM48RZWERQ36J46MSY,
  abstract     = {{Urbanization is transforming the breeding habitats of many bird species
 and may alter incubation conditions, particularly for open-nesting birds.
 Parents may adjust incubation behavior to buffer embryos against these
 conditions, but whether this suffices to maintain reproductive success
 remains unclear. We investigated the effects of rooftop breeding on
 incubation behavior and reproductive success in Larus argentatus by
 comparing rooftop- and ground-nesting pairs across two breeding seasons in
 Belgium. Using temperature loggers placed in artificial eggs, we
 quantified daily off-bout frequency and duration with the incR package in
 78 nests (2023: 11 ground, 15 rooftop; 2024: 22 ground, 30 rooftop). We
 also assessed reproductive output by comparing hatching success and chick
 size at hatching. Egg volume was compared between habitats as a proxy for
 parental quality, and local ambient temperatures around nests were
 measured to verify whether heating risks differed between environments.
 Rooftop-breeding pairs took fewer off-bouts, while off-bout duration did
 not differ, thereby limiting egg exposure to environmental conditions.
 However, hatching success was lower in rooftop nests, even after excluding
 egg predation or breakage. Hatchling size was comparable across
 environments, suggesting that differences in reproductive success were
 driven mainly by embryo mortality rather than altered embryonic growth.
 These findings suggest that urban rooftops impose incubation-stage
 challenges, altering incubation dynamics and breeding outcomes in
 open-nesting birds.}},
  author       = {{Van Malderen, Jolien and Stienen, Eric and Verbruggen, Frederick and Müller, Wendt and Lens, Luc}},
  keywords     = {{incubation,behavioral plasticity,herring gull,rooftop breeding,Larus argentatus,urbanization,biological sciences}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Dryad}},
  title        = {{Data and code for: Urban rooftops act as suboptimal incubation habitats: fewer off-bouts yet poorer hatching success in <em>Larus argentatus</em> (Herring Gull)}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.08KPRR5HF}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}

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