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In this paper, the Wellington area is defined as south-west of a curved line from the north end of Kapiti I. through Lake Wairarapa to Cape Palliser. The Wellington population of dominican gulls began to increase before 1890, and has grown rapidly in the last quarter century. In this latter period, six colonies show marked increases in size: Baring Hd. x ca. 11, Somes I. x ca. 9, Mana I. x ca. 8, Ward I. x ca. 5, Kapiti 1. x ca. 4 and Palliser Spit x ca. 2. Kapiti I. and Palliser Spit are not near any prominent food source, and apparently have not grown as rapidly as the four other colonies mentioned, which are much closer to major feeding sites. Increase of the population has been influenced by the establishment and subsequent growth of meatworks and refuse tips. The histories of breeding colonies in Wellington are summarised. There are 31 breeding colonies in the Wellington area, 21 on the mainland and 10 on islands, which together with scattered breeding pairs, comprised ca. 5,700 ± 500 pairs in 1963-64. There are 16 permanent roosting sites and possibly seven others in the area; most are at breeding colonies. The total number of birds in breeding colonies and in flocks outside breeding colonies during peak occupation of the colonies in December, 1963, is estimated at ca. 15,200 ± 1,700 birds.