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Evolutionary theories of senescence predict that rates of decline in performance parameters should be shaped by early‐life trade‐offs between reproduction and somatic maintenance. Here we investigate factors influencing the rate of reproductive senescence in a long‐lived seabird, the common guillemot Uria aalge, using data collected over a 23‐year period. In the last 3 years of life, individual guillemots had significantly reduced breeding success and were less likely to hold a site or attempt to breed. Females senesced at a significantly faster rate than males. At the individual level, high levels of reproductive output earlier in life were associated with increased senescence later in life. This trade‐off between early‐ and late‐life reproduction was evident independent of the fact that as birds age, they breed later in the season. The rate of senescence was additionally dependent on environmental conditions …