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Michael R. Conover, George L. Hunt, Experimental Evidence That Female-Female Pairs in Gulls Result from a Shortage of Breeding Males, The Condor: Ornithological Applications, Volume 86, Issue 4, 1 November 1984, Pages 472–476, https://doi.org/10.2307/1366828
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Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that female-female pairings in Ring-billed (Larus delawarensis) and California gulls (L. californicus) result from a shortage of males in the breeding population. This hypothesis was tested by removing males from one Ring-billed and four California gull colonies early in the breeding season. The frequency of 4-6 egg clutches, which we used as an index of female-female pairings, was significantly higher in these colonies than in nearby control colonies, thus supporting our hypothesis. Our results indicate that female-female pairings allow females the chance to breed when they are unable to obtain a male partner.