scholarly journals Talgoxens Parus major antal och häckningsbiologi – resultat av 25 års holkstudier

Ornis Svecica ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (2–4) ◽  
pp. 123-132
Author(s):  
Jan Eric Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Recent Trend ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Significant Positive Trend ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Minimum Number

A nest-box population of Great Tits Parus major was followed in 1986–2010. Maximum number of breeding attempts was three times higher than the minimum number but there was no significant trend through 2005. The number of nest-boxes declined from 94 to 55 during the last five years making it difficult to interpret the recent trend but most likely there was an increase. 17% of the first breeding attempts failed and resulted in replacement clutches. The number of second clutches was 13% of the number of first clutches. There was no correlation between population size and winter temperature. There was no significant advancement of laying date in spite of the fact laying date was correlated with April temperature and that local April temperature showed a significant positive trend during the study period. Mean clutch size was 9.2 eggs. The number of fledglings was 4.65, which is low compared to other studies. Replacement and second clutches produced 4.37 fledglings. Both clutch size and number of fledglings declined during the study period.

Environmental, ontogenetic, and genetic variation in egg size of Pied Flycatchers

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1534-1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Potti
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Relative Volume ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Territory Quality ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Female Condition ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Ontogenetic, genetic, and environmental variation in egg length, breadth, and volume were investigated in the Pied Flycatcher across four breeding seasons in central Spain. Egg length and breadth were poorly correlated and did not vary with laying date. There was an indication of decreasing egg breadth with increasing clutch size that may indicate a trade-off between both variables. Egg size increased with female condition and, independently, with territory quality. Mean egg size decreased with advancing female age, which is perhaps related to the increase of clutch size with age in this species. There were high, significant repeatabilities of almost all egg dimensions, including relative volumes of first and last eggs, among females, both within and between years. Also, nest boxes were repeatable in the relative volume of the last eggs of (different) females laying in them, suggesting an influence of territory quality on relative egg size. Territory quality also had positive influences on some egg measurements that were independent of female condition. Heritability, estimated by mother–daughter regression, was significant only for egg length. These results are discussed in relation to proximate constraints on egg formation, predictions from the brood-survival hypothesis, and a possible trade-off between clutch and egg sizes.

scholarly journals Nesting success and productivity of the Common Barn-owl Tyto alba: results from a nest box installation and long-term breeding monitoring program in Southern Hungary

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
László Bank ◽  
László Haraszthy ◽  
Adrienn Horváth ◽  
Győző F. Horváth
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Linear Trend ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Common

Abstract In this study, the results of a long-term nest box installation program of the Common Barn-owl Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) in Southern Hungary were evaluated, which program was conducted during a 24-year period (1995–2018). The percentages of occupied nest boxes ranged from 9.72 to 73.44% in the first breeding periods while this varied between 0 and 41.46% in the case of repeated clutches in the same nest boxes with second broods. A total of 1,265 breeding attempts were recorded including 1,020 (80.63%) in the first and 245 (19.36%) in the second breeding periods, from which a total of 210 (16.6%) clutches did not produce any fledglings. The modal clutch size was 7 eggs in both first and second annual clutches. However, the value of productivity was higher in the case of larger clutch sizes and we found significant linear relationship between initial clutch size and fledgling production per nesting attempt in both breeding periods. Significant variation of reproductive parameters was observed among the years. The proportion of egg loss showed significant decline, while the change of hatching success and the variation of annual productivity showed significant slight positive linear trend during the 24 years. Our results suggested that despite the outlier values of reproduction characteristics in the extreme years with negative effect, a relatively stable Common Barn-owl population can be maintained by the placement of nest boxes in the investigated region.

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.

Laying date and clutch size of Great Tits(Parus major) in the Mediterranean region: a comparison of four habitat types

1998 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo J. Beldal ◽  
Emilio Barba ◽  
José A. Gil-Delgado ◽  
Domingo J. Iglesias ◽  
Germán M. López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Demography, breeding success and effects of nest type in artificial colonies of Red-footed Falcons and allies

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
László Kotymán ◽  
Szabolcs Solt ◽  
Éva Horváth ◽  
Péter Palatitz ◽  
Péter Fehérvári
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Nesting Success ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Nest Type

Abstract Shortage of breeding sites is an important limiting factor of bird populations. Artificial breeding platforms, nest-boxes or man-made twig nests often present solutions with remarkable results, however long-term sustainability of these populations remains to be resolved. Furthermore, the question whether the inference of results of studies conducted on birds breeding in artificial breeding sites can be generalized to other populations, still remains open. Here we present the history, and the results of a 20 year old (1995-2015) nest-box programme initiated to increase potential breeding possibilities of Red-footed Falcons in an area, where nest-site shortage was a severe limiting factor. We show how various other species (Jackdaws, Kestrels and Long-eared Owls) have utilized these resources, and present descriptive statistics on their reproductive performance. Analysing the data of a total of 1432 breeding attempts, we show that Red-footed Falcons have similar clutch sizes, and nesting success (i.e. ratio of nests with at least on fledgling), however fledging success (ratio of the number of eggs/fledged nestlings) was different in artificial nest-boxes. When we excluded closed box types from artificial nests, this difference was not apparent. In case of Kestrels (n=1626 breeding attempts) clutch size was significantly higher in artificial nests, while we found no difference in fledging or nesting success. When only comparing open boxes to natural nests, the difference in clutch size was no longer significant. We also analysed the effect of nest box design on reproductive parameters of the two species using regression trees. Inter annual effects were the most important in shaping clutch size and fledging rate of both falcon species, however we also found nest-box design effects, but only in Red-footed Falcons. In years when mean clutch size was high, these birds had lower clutch size in an older, darker nest-box type compared to an alternative design, and to open boxes. However, fledging rate in the same years was lower for both open boxes and older nest-boxes. We conclude that artificial colonies are an important and successful tool in Red-footed Falcon conservation, and that the breeding parameters measured in artificial colonies depend on nest-box design. We present correlative evidence that closed boxes have a significant positive species specific effect on reproduction, probably due to their protection against weather. We also show that birds may have a preference for a certain nest-box design, and that the breeding success in the less favoured box type may be similar to that in open nests. We recommend that future studies incorporate nest-type and nest-box design effects in all comparisons made on reproductive performance in case of Red-footed Falcons and Kestrels.

scholarly journals Egg covering in cavity nesting birds may prevent nest usurpation by other species

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Slagsvold ◽  
Karen L. Wiebe
Keyword(s):  
Nest Predation ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Great Tit ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Nest Material ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Nest Usurpation ◽  
New Hypothesis

Abstract Some birds cover their eggs with nest material when they leave to forage. It has been suggested that such egg-covering aids thermoregulation or prevents predation but here we present a new hypothesis, that secondary cavity-nesting species cover their eggs to prevent nest usurpation by other birds. When the bottom of the cavity is dark, as when eggs are covered by nest material, it may be difficult for a prospecting competitor to see whether a defending nest owner or a predator is hiding inside the cavity. Competitors may therefore hesitate to enter dark cavities. We filmed 21 great tit (Parus major) nests during the egg-laying period and found that the female spent bouts of highly variable length outside the nest box (range 0.3–250 min, n = 51), so prospecting small passerines would have difficulty predicting whether an aggressive tit owner was in the box or would soon return. We presented prospecting male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) with a dyad of boxes (n = 93), each containing a great tit nest but only one with visible eggs. Flycatchers hesitated more to enter a nest box with no visible tit eggs than a box with exposed eggs. This was most evident for nest boxes with dark versus light interior paint, supporting the idea that better interior illumination makes prospecting birds more confident about entering an unfamiliar cavity. The usurpation and predation hypotheses are not mutually exclusive because both competitors and small predators may hesitate to enter dark, enclosed spaces if visibility is low. Significance statement Some birds deposit a layer of material on top of the eggs when they leave the nest. Several hypotheses have been proposed for such egg covering, for example that it may insulate the eggs and reduce the risk of nest predation. We propose a new hypothesis, namely that secondary hole-nesting birds cover their eggs when they leave the nest to prevent usurpation of the cavity by other birds. Great tits that we filmed at the nest during the egg-laying period could be absent for long periods. To test the hypothesis, we presented male pied flycatchers, potential nest competitors, with a dyad of nest boxes, each containing a great tit nest but only one with visible tit eggs. In support of the prediction, prospecting flycatchers hesitated to enter dark cavities with dark floors relative to boxes with exposed, reflective eggs.

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.

Family Planning in the Great Tit (Parus Major): Optimal Clutch Size as Integration of Parent and Offspring Fitness

Behaviour ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 114 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 161-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joost M. Tinbergen ◽  
Serge Daan
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Recruitment Rate ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Apparent Contradiction ◽  
Population Mean ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Second Clutch

AbstractFitness variations due to natural variation in the size of the first clutch and its laying date were estimated using Fisher's reproductive value for both the clutch (Vc) and the parent (Vp) in a population of great tits. In order to test the hypothesis that individual birds maximize their reproductive value by the choice of clutch size, artificial variation in brood size was introduced and the consequences in terms of reproductive value estimated. Maximal Vc, computed on the basis of natural variation in clutch size, occurred at a clutch size of 15.2, and increased slightly with laying date (Fig. 1A) Vp increased with natural variation in clutch size and decreased with date (Fig. 1B). The total reproductive value V (= Vc+Vp) was maximal at a clutch size of 15.4 (Fig. 1C), substantially higher than the population mean clutch size (9.2). The components of the reproductive value of the clutch (Vc) that were negatively affected by manipulation were the survival of the nestlings and the recruitment rate. The reproductive value of the parent (Vp) was negatively affected only through the probability of having a second clutch. Maximal Vc computed on basis of artificial variation in clutch size, occurred at a clutch size of 10.0, and also increased with date (Fig. 1D). Vp decreased with artificial variation in clutch size (Fig. 1E causing the clutch size maximising reproductive value V to shift to a value of 9.4 (Figs 1F, 3), very close to the population mean clutch size (9.2). It is concluded that the majority of great tits produces the number of eggs (9-10) that maximizes their individual fitness, even though those individual birds laying 15 eggs have the highest reproductive value in the population. The fact that birds laying very large clutches have the highest reproductive value points in the direction of a selection pressure towards larger clutches. Yet, over the last 30 years clutch sizes have not increased in the study population. This apparent contradiction is discussed. Either no genetic variation in clutch size is involved, or a complex polymorphism exists.

scholarly journals Species specific effect of nest-box cleaning on settlement selection decisions in an artificial colony system

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Fehérvári ◽  
Imre Sándor Piross ◽  
László Kotymán ◽  
Szabolcs Solt ◽  
Éva Horváth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Specific Effect ◽  
Parasite Load ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Hatching Rate ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Nest Boxes

Abstract Selecting a suitable breeding habitats and a nest-site within are crucial decisions birds have to make. Free ranging solitary Kestrels may use public information derived from leftover pellets and prey remnants from previous conspecific breeding attempts to assess location quality. However, this information may also indicate potentially higher nestling ectoparasite load. In colonies where habitat quality is similar for all available nests, the only information of previous nest usage may reflect expected future parasite pressure. In this study we explored whether Kestrels, Red-footed Falcons and Jackdaws rely on nest-material consisting of pellets and prey remnants when choosing a nest in a multi species artificial colony system. We also assessed potential effects of these decisions on reproductive success. We randomly selected and cleaned half (n=102) of all available nest-boxes in each of the studied 4 colonies before the breeding season. We then monitored occupancy, egg-laying date, hatching and fledging success. In case of Red-footed Falcons, we also acquired adult age and nestling condition data. Our results show that Kestrels were more likely to breed in uncleaned nest-boxes, however, eggs laid in cleaned nest-boxes were more likely to develop into fledged nestlings. There was a weak indication that lower hatching rate was responsible for this effect, rather than increased parasite load. Nest box cleaning had no effect on measured variables in case of Red-footed Falcons and Jackdaws. Colonial breeding of Kestrels, the only species to react to nest-box cleaning, is rare and is probably a consequence of extreme nest-site shortage in our study site. We conclude that Kestrels are not adapted to interpret the information carried by pellets and prey-remnants in colony nest-boxes.

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