Old Nest Material in Nest Boxes of Tree Swallows: Effects on Nest-Site Choice and Nest Building

The Auk ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wallace B. Rendell
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Nest Site Choice

scholarly journals Old nest material functions as an informative cue in making nest-site selection decisions in the European Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingju E ◽  
Tuo Wang ◽  
Shangyu Wang ◽  
Ye Gong ◽  
Jiangping Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Falco Tinnunculus ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Selection Decisions ◽  
Nest Materials ◽  
Organic Remains

Abstract Background For secondary cavity-nesting bird species that do not add lining materials to nests, the presence of old nest material or organic remains that have accumulated within nest cavities from previous breeding events may be a cue of nest-site quality. These materials potentially contain information about past breeding success in con- and heterospecifics and may improve the thermal insulation of eggs during incubation. However, few studies have addressed whether the presence of old nest materials serves as a cue for cavity-nesting raptors when choosing specific nest sites. Methods We conducted a 9-year nest box experiment to test whether old nest materials from con- and heterospecifics serve as informative cues to the European Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) when making nest selection decisions, as this species uses nest boxes without adding nesting material. Results The presence of old nest materials and entrance size best discriminated nest boxes occupied by European Kestrels from unoccupied boxes. Nest boxes containing conspecific organic remains, artificial dry leaf and branch material, and material left behind by Great Tits (Parus major) were reused at higher rates, especially those containing conspecific nest material, than nest boxes containing true or simulated nest materials from predators. In 2010, no single nest box was occupied by the same banded individual that occupied the box in the previous year (10 females and 2 males were banded in 2009). Conclusions European Kestrels preferred nest boxes containing old nest material over empty boxes, which is consistent with previous findings that they exploit con- and heterospecific cues when deciding where to settle and breed, as old nest or organic material provides substrate for incubating females. Kestrels may be able to assess the predation risks associated with a specific nest site based on experience or the presence of prey remains. The repeated use of nest boxes across breeding seasons by kestrels cannot be entirely ascribed to philopatry. This study provides evidence that old nest materials are potentially used as informative cues when making nest-site selection decisions in European Kestrels.

scholarly journals No evidence that nest site choice in Pied Flycatchers is mediated by assessing the clutch size of a heterospecific, the Great Tit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Slagsvold ◽  
Karen L. Wiebe
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Great Tit ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Nest Choice ◽  
Nest Site Choice

AbstractAmong species that use similar resources, an individual may benefit by observing and copying the behavioural decision of a heterospecific. We tested the hypothesis of heterospecific social learning in passerine birds, namely that a migrant species, the Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, uses external markings on the nest cavities of a resident species, the Great Tit Parus major, as cues when choosing a nest site. Others have suggested that prospecting flycatchers assess the clutch size of tit “demonstrators” by entering their nest boxes and, assuming that a large clutch indicates a high-quality individual, will copy the nest appearance of tits with large, but not small clutches. During a 4-year period in Norway, we designed a similar study but did not find that flycatchers based their nest choice on the clutch size of tits. Neither were there any relationships between clutch size of the tit and its laying date, incubation behaviour, or the number of eggs visible through nest material during egg-laying so Pied Flycatchers did not use these indirect cues to assess quality of the tutor. Filming of tit nests showed that prospecting flycatchers did not enter tit nest boxes to assess the content. Indeed, incubating female tits only left their nest boxes for short bouts of unpredictable duration so there was little opportunity for flycatchers to inspect the nest contents unnoticed. Our study calls into question the mechanism of using the content of tit nests as public information for choosing traits of nest sites based on external characteristics. We suggest that similar studies of nest site choice in relation to possible social information transfer be replicated more widely.

scholarly journals Use of landmarks for nest site choice and small-scale navigation to the nest in birds

Behaviour ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 158 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 705-726
Author(s):  
Tore Slagsvold ◽  
Karen L. Wiebe
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Ficedula Hypoleuca ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Opening ◽  
Nest Site Choice ◽  
Blue Tits

Abstract Nest sites of animals are often concealed to keep vulnerable offspring from being detected by predators. Parents may use landmarks near the nest to relocate it quickly. We allowed blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) to choose between two nest boxes fixed on the same tree with either none, the same, or different white painted markings. Surprisingly, the female brought material to both boxes and sometimes laid eggs in both. In a second experiment, we let pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) and great tits (Parus major) become familiar with a marking on the initial nest box and then let them choose between two new nest boxes erected on different, nearby trees. Neither species preferred the box with the matching mark. In nature, the birds may locate the correct entrance of a cavity using other landmarks near the nest opening, like branches and the height of the cavity opening above the ground.

Nest site choice by farrowing sows offered cubicles or parallel walls

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 220-220
Author(s):  
A M Petchey
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Physical Protection ◽  
Freedom Of Movement ◽  
Straight Wall ◽  
Nest Site Choice ◽  
Building Activities

Freedom of movement and the opportunity to express normal behaviours are important requirements for any housing system which satisfies the welfare codes (MAFF, 1983). Intensive pig production systems generally house farrowing sows in crates to minimise the probability that piglets will be crushed. To satisfy the welfare codes there is, therefore, a need to develop a loose housing system which satisfies a multiplicity of conditions. It must give the sow unrestrained movement, allow nest building activities, provide physical protection and warm environmental conditions for the young piglets. In a previous choice trial sows sited their nests within cubicles rather than a corner or beside a straight wall (Hunt and Petchey, 1989). In another trial they were offered an arrangement of parallel walls spaced 0.55,0.95 or 1.35 m apart, most sows (0.44) chose to farrow between the 0.55 m spaced walls (Petchey, 1991). Sows making this choice (ie 0.55 m spacing) also exhibited more nest building behaviours and built significantly bigger nests (P<0.05). The trial reported here offers sows the preferred sites of the two previous trials.

scholarly journals Preference of rabbit does among different nest materials

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.P. Farkas ◽  
Zs. Szendrő ◽  
Zs. Matics ◽  
I. Radnai ◽  
I. Nagy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Gestation Length ◽  
Wild Rabbit ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Wood Shavings ◽  
Nest Materials ◽  
Nest Quality

Nest quality is important for the survival of new-born rabbits. Nesting material in rabbit farms generally consists of wood shavings, which is completely different from the dry grass used by the European wild rabbit (<em>Oryctolagus cuniculus</em>). The aim of the experiments was to examine which nest materials are preferred by rabbit does when building their nest. In experiment 1, the choice of multiparous rabbit does (n=37) among nest boxes bedded with different nesting materials was monitored. In each pen (1.0×1.83 m) 1 doe and 4 nest boxes (0.37×0.23×0.31 m) with different nest materials (meadow hay [H], wheat straw [S], fine fibre material [Lignocel<sup>®</sup>, L] or wood shavings [W]) were placed 3 days before the expected parturition (gestation length is about 31 d in the Pannon White breed). Some 48.6% of the does kindled in nest boxes that contained pure materials (L: 40.5%, S: 5.4%, H: 2.7%), and 51.3% of the does kindled in nest boxes where the nest materials of different nest boxes were mixed by the does (S with L: 21.5%, S with L and H: 5.4%, W with L: 8.1%, L with H and S: 5.4%). Does preferred kindling in the nest box bedded with L, and most of them refused the nest box with W. In experiment 2/a (n=32 does) and 2/b (n=25 does), each pen (1×0.91 m) was equipped with 3 and 2 hay racks and filled with H, S or L, and H or S, respectively. The experiments lasted from the 27<sup>th</sup> day of pregnancy until the day of parturition and 24-h video recordings (10 does/experiment) were evaluated throughout the experiment. The events of carrying the nest materials from the hay racks were registered. In experiment 2/a, the frequency of nest material carrying was highest on the day of parturition. The preferred nest material was L (compared to H and S) on each experimental day except day 30 of pregnancy. At the day of kindling, 87.5, 6.3 and 6.3% of the nests contained pure L, mixed L-H and L-S, respectively. In experiment 2/b, the frequency of nest material carrying (mostly S) was highest on the day of parturition, and on days 27 and 30 of pregnancy. More does built nests with only S (72%) than H (16%), and in 12% of the cases the S and H were mixed. For the purpose of nest building, material S was the most frequently used (72%) compared to other possibilities (H: 16%, S-H: 12%). It can be concluded that rabbit does showed the following clear preferences for specific nest building materials: L&gt;S&gt;H&gt;W.

A comparison of the breeding ecology of a secondary cavity nesting bird, the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), in nest boxes and natural cavities

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1046-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raleigh J. Robertson ◽  
Wallace B. Rendell
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Second Year

Several studies concerned with mate choice, reproductive performance, and life history strategies have been conducted with secondary cavity nesting birds breeding in nest boxes. Although the need for comparative studies has been recognized, populations breeding in nest boxes often have not been compared with those breeding in natural cavities. We compared the ecology of Tree Swallows breeding in nest boxes and natural cavities to determine if nest box populations of Tree Swallows are accurate models of natural populations. Two nest site characteristics, nest site dispersion and cavity height, were similar for birds in both nesting environments. Greater cavity entrance area at natural cavities resulted in increased interspecific competition in natural populations, involving larger competitors, more species, and a greater abundance of each species. Clutch size was smaller in natural cavities compared with nest boxes, likely because floor area was smaller in natural cavities. Fledging success did not differ between populations. Disproportionately more after-second-year females bred in nest boxes, and more second-year females bred in natural cavities, as estimated by a model of Tree Swallow survivorship. Tree Swallows settle at nest boxes before natural cavities in our study area, perhaps as a result of the greater potential for reproductive success and reduced interspecific competition in the nest boxes as opposed to natural cavities. For some aspects of the ecology of secondary cavity nesters, nest boxes do not provide an accurate representation of natural populations. Therefore, evolutionary interpretations of nest box studies should be compared with observations of birds in natural environments.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document