<p>Understanding how animals use and value their breeding territories is important to interpreting the ecological and social pressures that shape reproductive strategies, particularly in species breeding in dense colonies and highly seasonal environments. In colonially nesting seabirds, where terrestrial space is often considered a low-value resource, patterns of territory use outside periods of direct parental care remain poorly understood. Drawing on six years of video monitoring in a well-established colony in Hornsund, Spitsbergen, we quantified territory attendance (non-parental nest-site attendance) in males and females of the little auk (<i>Alle alle</i>) – a small Arctic seabird, across the entire breeding season and compared successful breeders with pairs that experienced hatching failure. We found significant sex differences in the non-parental nest-site attendance, with males spending more time at the nest than females, particularly during mating, early incubation, and late chick-rearing stages. Failed breeders, spending more time on the nest spot than successful breeders, remained in the colony throughout the chick-rearing stage with no detectable difference between males and females. In the context of the ecology of the little auk, our findings indicate that non-parental nest-site attendance in the species reflects a complex interplay of parental investment, social dynamics, and long-term spatial attachment. Our results highlight that even in species with minimal territorial defensibility, territory use extends beyond periods of active care and should be considered when interpreting the behavioural ecology of colonial seabirds.</p>