Environmental conditions affect incubation behavior, but whilst the effect of ambient temperature is studied and still controversially discussed, the role of precipitation is unknown. Here, we analyzed the effect of local ambient temperature and precipitation on incubation behavior of female Great Tits (Parus major) and accounted for diurnal patterns of weather conditions. We monitored the incubation behavior of females using temperature data loggers, thus identifying periods of staying inside nest boxes incubating, and leaving nest boxes (off-bout). In total, 685 single off-bouts were analyzed between the first 8 days of incubation directly after clutches were completed. Our study showed that whilst precipitation had no effect on incubation behavior, number and duration of off-bouts were negatively related to ambient temperature, which varied throughout the day. We showed that females took longer off-bouts during low-temperature early mornings, which may result from the need to forage after fasting during the night. Thus, foraging in the early morning seemed to outcompete energy requirements during these cold temperature periods. In addition, females spent less time off the nest as incubation progressed. Our results emphasize that patterns of incubation behavior cannot be understood without taking into account varying temperature conditions throughout the day. Keywords Data logger • Environmental conditions • Female behavior • Nest boxes • Off-bout • Parus major Zusammenfassung Tagesschwankungen der Umgebungstemperatur, nicht aber des Niederschlages, beeinflussen das Inkubationsverhalten von Kohlmeisen Umweltbedingungen beeinflussen das Inkubationsverhalten. Während der Einfluss der Umgebungstemperatur untersucht, aber noch immer kontrovers diskutiert wird, ist die Rolle des Niederschlags unbekannt. In dieser Studie analysierten wir den Einfluss von lokalen Temperatur-und Niederschlagsbedingungen auf das Inkubationsverhalten weiblicher Kohlmeisen (Parus major) und berücksichtigten dabei tageszeitliche Rhythmen der Wetterbedingungen. Wir untersuchten das Inkubationsverhalten von Weibchen mithilfe von Temperaturdatenloggern und identifizierten so Zeiträume, in denen sie sich im Nistkasten aufhielten oder ihn verließen (Off-Bout). Insgesamt wurden 685 einzelne Off-Bouts innerhalb der ersten acht Tage der Inkubation analysiert. Unsere Studie zeigt, dass Niederschläge zwar keinen Einfluss auf das Inkubationsverhalten hatten, aber die Anzahl und Dauer der Off-Bouts in einem negativen Zusammenhang mit der Umgebungstemperatur stand, welche im Laufe des Tages variierte. Die Weibchen unternahmen während der frühen Morgenstunden bei niedrigen Communicated by S. Bouwhuis.
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