Abstract
Birds lay eggs at different rates and at different times of the day. Some species also show skipped days during the laying sequence, laying gaps, but patterns of egg laying have not been well studied. We compared timing of laying during the day, laying gaps, and laying rates (number of eggs/day) for White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus) and Willow Ptarmigan (L. lagopus). Both species tended to lay eggs near midday, but Willow Ptarmigan had fewer laying gaps and faster laying rates than White-tailed Ptarmigan. The variation in laying rates among individuals was greater for White-tailed Ptarmigan which had a bimodal distribution of inter-egg intervals, long (x = 44 hr) and short (x = 26 hr). Laying gaps were not associated with spring body condition but severe spring storms seemed to cause some laying delays. The patterns and frequency of gaps observed within and between species may be the result of nutrient constraints on egg formation in conjunction with physiological mechanisms which control a time-window for egg laying.
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