Abstract
Summary Tomlinson, D. N. S. 1975. Studies of the Purple Heron, Part 3: Egg and chick development. Ostrich 46:157-165. (Part 1, Ostrich 45:175-181; Part 2, Ostrich 45:209-223.) The average clutch size of Ardea purpurea was found to be three eggs, with a mean incubation period of 26 days. Incubation begins immediately the first egg is laid with the result that there is a marked difference in chick size in individual nests. The optimum clutch size in terms of fledgling success, is four to a nest, although growth data from nests indicate that the fourth chick in a nest with four is not fed adequately, and the fifth chick in a nest with five dies of starvation. In agreement with Junor's (1971) results on other herons, food expressed as a percentage of body weight per day was found to level off at 16% which was 225 g of food per bird (adult weight) per day.
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