Environmental forcing, individual repeatability, and mother-daughter resemblance shape the phenology of a long-lived seabird.

Negative phases of wNAO shift Scopoli's Shearwater laying earlier, while individual repeatability in relative laying date is high (R = 0.50) across experience levels.

• Why it matters: Predicting how long-lived seabirds respond to climate variability requires knowing which environmental cues trigger breeding timing and how intrinsic and maternal factors shape individual decisions.
• What they did: Using 2065 breeding events over 22 y, the study linked population mean laying date to wNAO, estimated repeatability in relative laying date, and tested mother-daughter resemblance using 142 cases.
• The result: Early laying was associated with higher breeding success and adult survival, yielding an annual fitness advantage, with survival and breeding success differences most evident on first breeding attempts.

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