Defense of Nest Boxes by Western Bluebirds during the Post-Breeding Period

The Condor ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 494-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Brawn
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Period ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Western Bluebirds

Seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick, Ixodes arboricola

Parasitology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
pp. 1044-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. A. HEYLEN ◽  
A. R. VAN OOSTEN ◽  
N. DEVRIENDT ◽  
J. ELST ◽  
L. DE BRUYN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Tree Hole ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Tick Transmission ◽  
Ixodes Arboricola

SUMMARYBird-specific ticks do not infest humans and livestock, but these ticks often share their avian hosts with generalist ticks that do. Therefore, their feeding activity may have an impact on the transmission of pathogens outside bird–tick transmission cycles. Here we examined the seasonal feeding activity of the tree-hole tick (Ixodes arboricola) in relation to the activity of its hole-breeding hosts (Parus major and Cyanistes caeruleus). We analysed data on ticks derived from birds, on the abundance of engorged ticks inside nest boxes, and on bird nests that were experimentally exposed to ticks. We observed a non-random pattern of feeding associated with the tick instar and host age. The majority of adult ticks fed on nestlings, while nymphs and larvae fed on both free-flying birds and nestlings. Due to their fast development, some ticks were able to feed twice within the same breeding season. The highest infestation rates in free-flying birds were found during the pre-breeding period and during autumn and winter when birds roost inside cavities. Except during winter, feeding of I. arboricola overlapped in time with the generalist Ixodes ricinus, implying that tick-borne microorganisms that are maintained by I. arboricola and birds could be bridged by I. ricinus to other hosts.

scholarly journals The Use Of Nest-Boxes By Two Species Of Sparrows (Passer Domesticus And P. Montanus) With Opposite Trends Of Abundance – The Study In Warsaw

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Węgrzynowicz
Keyword(s):  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Specific Rate ◽  
Tree Sparrow ◽  
Urbanization Gradient ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Housing Estates

Abstract The occupation of nest-boxes by House- and Tree Sparrow in Warsaw was investigated in 2005-2009 and in 2012. Riparian forests, younger and older parks in downtown, and housing estates were included in the study as 4 types of habitats corresponding to the urbanization gradient of Warsaw. 1035 inspections of nest-boxes suitable for both species (type A) were carried out during the breeding period and 345 nest-boxes of other types were inspected after the breeding period. In order to determine the importance of nest-boxes for both species on different plots, obtained data were analyzed using Nest-box Importance Coefficient (NIC). This coefficient describes species-specific rate of occupation of nest-boxes as well as the contribution of the pairs nesting in them. Tree Sparrow occupied a total of 33% of A-type nest-boxes, its densities were positively correlated with the number of nest-boxes, and seasonal differences in occupation rate were low for this species. The NIC and the rate of nest-box occupation for Tree Sparrow decreased along an urbanization gradient. House Sparrow used nest-boxes very rarely, only in older parks and some housing estates. Total rate of nest-box occupation for House Sparrow in studied plots was 4%, and NIC was relatively low. However, locally, installation of nest-boxes limited House Sparrow decline caused by reduced availability of its typical nest sites. Both species used only A-type nest boxes. The rate of nest-box occupation by House Sparrow decreased sharply since 1980s, and opposite trend was observed for Tree Sparrow. These alterations are consistent with the general changes in both species populations in Warsaw in recent decades: decrease in House Sparrow and increase in Tree Sparrow number. The presented results suggest that loss of nest sites may not be the main reason of decrease in House Sparrow population in Warsaw. Additionally, House Sparrow decline leads to increase in nest sites (including nest-boxes) available for Tree Sparrow, what may contribute to the expansion of the latter species.

Effects of urbanization and nest box design on reproduction vary by species in three cavity-nesting passerines in the Okanagan Valley

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Dale ◽  
Matthew W Reudink ◽  
Laurene M Ratcliffe ◽  
Ann E McKellar
Keyword(s):  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Western Bluebirds ◽  
Mountain Bluebirds ◽  
Artificial Nest Boxes ◽  
Okanagan Valley

Artificial nest boxes provide an important resource for secondary cavity-nesting passerines, whose populations may be limited by the availability of nesting sites. However, previous studies have demonstrated that the design and placement of boxes may affect the reproductive success of the birds that use them. In this study, we asked whether the habitat surrounding a nest box or the type of box influenced reproduction in three cavity-nesting passerines. We studied western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana Swainson, 1832), mountain bluebirds (S. currucoides Bechstein, 1798), and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor Vieillot, 1808) breeding in artificial nest boxes at sites across 70 km of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Sites varied in their degree of urbanization, from relatively undisturbed ranchland, to cultivated vineyards, to frequently disturbed ‘suburban’ habitat, and boxes varied in type of entrance (slot or hole). Western bluebirds nested earlier in vineyards, and tree swallows produced significantly fewer fledglings in suburban habitat. In addition, tree swallows nested earlier and produced more fledglings in slot boxes. Our results suggest that conservation actions for cavity-nesting passerines may depend on the target species, which in turn should dictate the appropriate box type and habitat when erecting or replacing nest boxes.

scholarly journals Site-Specific Variation in Bacterial Loads of Wooden Nest Boxes in the Pre-Breeding Period

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Zabłotni ◽  
Adam Kaliński ◽  
Mirosława Bańbura ◽  
Michał Glądalski ◽  
Marcin Markowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Previous Season ◽  
Study Sites

Abstract Among environmental factors affecting life - history traits of birds breeding in nest boxes, an influence of microbial communities is relatively poorly understood. In this study, nest boxes used for breeding by great tit (Parus major) and blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) were sampled before the start of the breeding season to assess the bacterial loads of the nest box. Samples from the entrance hole and the interior of the nest box were taken at two different study sites: an urban parkland and a natural forest. Nest boxes were sampled to check if their bacterial loads differed between habitats. The second objective of this study was to check whether the occupancy of the nest boxes during the previous season would influence the bacterial load of the nest box. To verify this prediction, two categories of nest boxes were sampled at both study sites: nest boxes occupied by any of the two tit species in the previous season for breeding and nest boxes that had remained empty that year. The bacterial load of the nest box was significantly higher in the forest study area in both the occupied and unoccupied nest boxes. The nest boxes used for breeding in the previous season had significantly higher bacterial loads, but only in the forest area. Our results suggest that the bacterial load of the nest box can vary between habitats and may be positively related to the presence of the nests in the previous breeding season.

Nest Boxes for White-Throated Needletailed Swift Hirundapus caudacutus to Promote Conservation and Support Ecological Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi ◽  
Sayaka Mori ◽  
Hiroshi Yonekawa ◽  
Daichi Waga ◽  
Hiroyoshi Higuchi
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Research ◽  
Nest Boxes

scholarly journals Nidicolous beetle species richness is driven by Barn Owl’s nests occupancy and landscape structure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien Cosandey ◽  
Robin Séchaud ◽  
Paul Béziers ◽  
Yannick Chittaro ◽  
Andreas Sanchez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Bird Droppings ◽  
Barn Owls

AbstractBird nests are specialized habitats because of their particular composition including nest detritus and bird droppings. In consequence, they attract a specialized arthropod community considered as nidicolous, which includes species only found in bird nests (strictly nidicolous) or sometimes found in bird nests (facultatively nidicolous). Because the factors influencing the entomofauna in bird nests are poorly understood, in autumn 2019, we collected nest material in 86 Barn Owl (Tyto alba) nest boxes. We investigated whether the invertebrate species richness was related to Barn Owl nest box occupancy, the density of available nest boxes and the landscape structure. We found 3,321 nidicolous beetle specimens belonging to 24 species. Species richness of strictly nidicolous beetles was 2.7 times higher in nest boxes occupied by a family of Barn Owls the previous spring compared to unoccupied nest boxes. It was also higher in sites that were more often occupied by Barn Owls in the five previous years and in areas surrounded by a higher proportion of crop fields. For facultatively nidicolous beetles, the density of Barn Owl nest boxes enhanced the species richness. In conclusion, our study suggests that the strictly nidicolous beetles benefit from occupied nest boxes of Barn Owls, whereas facultatively nidicolous beetles look for nest boxes independently of whether Barn Owls occupy them. Our study highlights the importance of bird nests for a suite of invertebrates.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Pine Vole, Microtus duodecimcostatus: A Paradigm of an Opportunistic Breeder

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1639
Author(s):  
Miguel Lao-Pérez ◽  
Diaa Massoud ◽  
Francisca M. Real ◽  
Alicia Hurtado ◽  
Esperanza Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Functional Regression ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Poplar Plantations ◽  
Microtus Duodecimcostatus ◽  
Mediterranean Pine ◽  
Animal House ◽  
Testis Regression

Most mammalian species of the temperate zones of the Earth reproduce seasonally, existing a non-breeding period in which the gonads of both sexes undergo functional regression. It is widely accepted that photoperiod is the principal environmental cue controlling these seasonal changes, although several exceptions have been described in other mammalian species in which breeding depends on cues such as food or water availability. We studied the circannual reproductive cycle in males of the Mediterranean pine vole, Microtus duodecimcostatus, in the Southeastern Iberian Peninsula. Morphological, hormonal, functional, molecular and transcriptomic analyses were performed. As reported for populations of other species from the same geographic area, male voles captured in wastelands underwent seasonal testis regression in summer whereas, surprisingly, those living either in close poplar plantations or in our animal house reproduced throughout the year, showing that it is the microenvironment of a particular vole subpopulation what determines its reproductive status and that these animals are pure opportunistic, photoperiod-independent breeders. In addition, we show that several molecular pathways, including MAPK, are deregulated and that the testicular “immune privilege” is lost in the inactive testes, providing novel mechanisms linking seasonal testosterone reduction and testis regression.

Delayed mortality of males in Thylamys bruchi, a semelparous marsupial from the Monte Desert, Argentina

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Soledad Albanese ◽  
Ricardo A Ojeda ◽  
Andrea A Astié
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Strategy ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
South American Species ◽  
Monte Desert ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Energetic Balance ◽  
Delayed Mortality ◽  
Favorable Period ◽  
Capture Techniques

Abstract Male-only obligate semelparity is a well-studied reproductive strategy in some Australian marsupials. This strategy has not been documented in South American species, although semelparity in both sexes occurs in some Neotropical didelphids. The fat-tailed mouse opossum, Thylamys bruchi, is an endemic species of the temperate Monte Desert, in Argentina. Seasonality and predictability of resources are two of the attributes associated with habitats where marsupial semelparity has evolved, and both are characteristic of the Monte Desert. We aimed to characterize the life-history strategy of T. bruchi to explore if it can be considered a semelparous species. We studied a fat-tailed mouse opossum population for 7 years with two different capture techniques (Sherman traps and nest boxes). Thylamys bruchi showed strong seasonality in abundance, with the highest captures during summer and autumn. Reproduction and weaning coincided with the most favorable period of the year with respect to climate and resource availability. Every year we observed a single cohort with little overlap until weaning of young. After breeding, all adults disappeared from the population; however, unlike any other didelphids, males showed delayed mortality and died, along with females, after weaning. We found no evidence of survival to a second breeding season for either sex. We therefore propose T. bruchi as a desert-dwelling marsupial with a semelparous reproductive strategy. Because the severity of winters may be acting as an important constraint on the energetic balance of adults in this population, we propose that challenging climatic conditions, coupled with the seasonality and high predictability of food resources, may have contributed to the evolution of the extreme reproductive strategy in this didelphid marsupial.

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