Age and breeding success related to nest position in a White stork Ciconia ciconia colony

Vergara, Pablo M.; Aguirre, José I.

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2006.05.008

Cited by 42 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…However, storks not always act with aggression towards their neighbours. High tolerance of storks for other breeding pairs may lead, at least locally, to the formation of dense breeding aggregations that in some cases may even function as colonies (Vergara and Aguirre 2006), which is especially common in the Western European populations (Jovani and Tella 2007). Colonial breeding of storks could be maintained through evolution, as feeding areas of neighbouring pairs are spatially separated from their nesting locations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing of arrival at breeding grounds determines spatial patterns of productivity within the population of white stork (Ciconia ciconia)

2013

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Early arrival at breeding grounds have important fitness consequences for migratory birds, both at individual and population level. The aim of this study was to investigate how the timing of arrival at the breeding territories affects the spatial patterns of reproductive success within a population of white storks (Ciconia ciconia). Data were gathered annually for ca. 200 pairs of storks breeding in central Poland between 1994 and 2011. Geostatistical analysis of data indicated that in years of delayed arrival of the population (measured by the first quartile arrival date), the reproductive output of storks was negatively autocorrelated, which indicated that there was a tendency for pairs of high breeding success to neighbour with pairs of low success. By contrast, in years when first storks returned in early dates to the breeding grounds, their reproductive success did not show any kind of spatial autocorrelation. These results suggest that delayed return of the first-arriving storks of the population may increase intensity of intra-specific competition to the level at which high-quality breeding pairs monopolize most of available resources at the expense of neighbouring lowquality pairs, which have lower reproductive success as a consequence. Such hypothesis was further supported with the analysis of nesting densities, showing that the latearriving breeding pairs incurred greater fitness costs (or derived lower fitness benefits) while breeding in high densities comparatively to the early-arriving conspecifics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Timing of arrival at breeding grounds determines spatial patterns of productivity within the population of white stork (Ciconia ciconia)

2013

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“…Binary response variables (Table 1) were Wtted using generalised linear models with binomial errors and a logit link. In case of binary responses with random eVects (Table 1), models were Wtted as generalized linear mixed models using procedure glmmPQL in S Plus (with add-on library MASS; Venables and Ripley 2002). Procedure glmmPQL uses penalized quasilikelihood estimation.…”

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-specific nest-site preference and success in eiders

Öst

Steele

2009

Oecologia

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Variation in nest concealment is puzzling given the expected strong selection for safe nest sites. Selecting a concealed nest may decrease the risk of clutch predation but hinder parents from escaping predators, providing a possible solution to this paradox. Because the relative value of current versus future reproduction may vary with breeder age or state, nest concealment may also vary as a function of these attributes. We tested four predictions of the female and clutch safety trade-off hypothesis in eiders (Somateria mollissima): (1) nest concealment is negatively related to escape possibilities, (2) our capture rate of females is higher in covered nests, (3) egg predation is higher in open nests, and (4) overall nest success is unrelated to nest habitat. We also analysed nest microhabitat preferences and nest success relative to breeder age and body condition, controlling for nest spatial centrality. As expected, nest concealment and potential escape angle were negatively related, and capture by us, indicating female predation vulnerability, increased with nest cover. Clutch size was smaller in open nests, suggesting higher partial clutch predation, while it was larger among experienced and good-condition breeders. The probability of successful hatching was unrelated to nest habitat, positively associated with breeder experience, and negatively associated with hatching date. Experienced females selected more concealed and centrally located nests without sacrificing potential escape angles. The age-specific spatial distribution of nests on islands was unrelated to nest initiation dates, indicating no apparent competition. The age-specific preference of eiders for concealed nests may reflect declining reproductive value with age or confidence in surviving despite selecting a concealed nest. The apparently positive relationship between female age and survival and fecundity in eiders refutes the former alternative. Individual improvement in choosing safe nest sites, coupled with differential survival of individuals performing well, most likely explains age-specific nest-site preference and success.

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“…This is partially due to a later arrival date (Tryjanowski et al 2004) and probably also the cost of building a new nest (Vergara et al 2010). Pairs in new nests were also probably young inexperienced birds, which usually raise less offspring than older experienced pairs (Creutz 1985, Barbraud et al 1999, Vergara & Aguirre 2006. Young and inexperienced storks often start building nests a year before their first breeding attempt (Vergara et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, a recent study showed that pairs which built new nests arrived later than pairs which occupied old nests. Therefore, competition probably forced new pairs (incomers) to build nests in new locations, outside of the village or centres of colonies (Vergara & Aguirre 2006). Building a new nest is very costly (Vergara et al 2010), therefore, only in exceptional conditions will a new nest be built.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New is not always better: low breeding success and different occupancy patterns in newly built nests of a long-lived species, the white storkCiconia ciconia

et al. 2013

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Age and breeding success related to nest position in a White stork Ciconia ciconia colony

Cited by 42 publications

References 34 publications

Timing of arrival at breeding grounds determines spatial patterns of productivity within the population of white stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Timing of arrival at breeding grounds determines spatial patterns of productivity within the population of white stork (Ciconia ciconia)

Age-specific nest-site preference and success in eiders

New is not always better: low breeding success and different occupancy patterns in newly built nests of a long-lived species, the white storkCiconia ciconia

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