Breeding ecology and behaviour of the Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, in Poyrazlar Lake, Turkey

Uzun, Ali; Ayyildiz, Zehra; Yılmaz, Faruk; Uzun, Belgin; Sağiroğlu, Mehmet

doi:10.3906/zoo-1303-35

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…For example, ponds as isolated small habitat patches may be preferred and monopolized by older, more experienced breeders, which are able to lay larger clutches (Dyrcz 1981). Younger breeders, which usually arrive back to the breeding grounds later than the older individuals, may thus be limited in their choice to the reed bed along canals, where they lay smaller clutches than the older individuals do (Uzun et al 2014). Further studies using individual marking can help refute or corroborate this possibility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), a Western Palearctic passerine species, occurs in the reed beds of slow rivers (Fischer 1991(Fischer , 1994, canals (Mérő and Ž uljević 2009), ponds or swamps (Mérő et al 2014), and fishponds (Beier 1981, Dyrcz 1981, Božić 1999, but it also uses reed patches in shallow lakes (Graveland 1998, Fedorov 2000, Woithon and Schmieder 2004, Batáry and Báldi 2005, Uzun et al 2014). The Great Reed Warbler is a specialist of common reed (Phragmites australis) vegetation, although it can accidentally nest in other herbaceous vegetation in reedbeds interspersed with cattail (Typha sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Habitat use and nesting success of the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in different reed habitats in Serbia

Mérő¹,

Žuljević²,

Varga

et al. 2015

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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ABSTRACT.---We surveyed five reed habitats (mining pond, sand pit, large canal, small 1 canal and lowland river) in north-western Vojvodina (Serbia) between 2009-2011 to study 2 habitat use and to estimate nest success in an understudied region of the breeding range of the 3 Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Data from 174 nests showed that habitat 4 use differed considerably between the habitat types, but was not related to the area of the 5 study site or the reed bed. Higher-than-expected numbers of nests along the small canal and 6 the river suggested that Great Reed Warblers preferred these to other habitats for nesting. 7Habitat use was closely linked to the availability of reed edges and the quality of the reed 8 stand. Overall Mayfield nest success was 43%, slightly lower than in northern and western 9 Europe. Nest success was low along the small and large canal, where brood parasitism by 10Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) and nest predation were high due to nearby tree lines 11 providing perching sites to cuckoos and predators. Nest success was intermediate at the 12 mining pond due to very high predation pressure and adverse weather, and nest success was 13 highest in the sand pit (despite high Cuckoo parasitism) and the river (despite relatively high 14 predation). In conclusion, our results suggest that canals can function as ecological traps, 15 which attract edge-preferring Great Reed Warblers but are highly accessible to predators and 16 brood parasites. In contrast, sand pits can be perceptual traps because they provide good 17 resources for nesting but were less attractive to Great Reed Warblers than other habitats. 18Habitat use in relation to habitat availability thus depends primarily on the availability of reed 19 edges and the quality of the reed stand, whereas nest success also depends on the 20 characteristics of the surroundings and weather conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Habitat use and nesting success of the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in different reed habitats in Serbia

Mérő¹,

Žuljević²,

Varga

et al. 2015

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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“…The breeding habits of GRW have already been discussed in several papers in the past 3 decades (Beier, 1981;Dyrcz, 1981;Woithon and Schmieder, 2004;Batáry and Báldi, 2005;Uzun et al, 2014). This species is a common breeder in the middle latitudes of the western Palearctic; it usually inhabits the tall, dense, and strong reed Phragmites australis (Cramp, 1998).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effect of reed burning and precipitation on the breeding success of Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, on a mining pond

Mérő¹,

Žuljević²,

Varga³

et al. 2014

Turk J Zool

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Báldi (2001) studied how inundation affected the local breeding passerines at the Kis-Balaton wetland. He collected observations in 3 groups (before, immediately after, and years after inundation) and quantified the changes in community structure parameters, community composition, differences between areas and periods, and species and abundances. Savi's Warbler, Locustella luscinioides, declined immediately after inundation, while Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, and Sedge Warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, declined in the long term. However, the Great Reed Warbler (GRW), Acrocephalus arundinaceus, was the only species with a continuous increasing trend. Vadász et al. (2008) reported that the cutting of reed negatively influenced species richness and the abundance of reed passerines on Lake Kolon in Central Hungary. Savi's Warbler, Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon, Sedge Warbler, and Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus especially avoided cut areas, while GRW did not (Vadász et al., 2008). Báldi and Moskát (1995) and Moga et al. (2010) recorded the presence of GRW in unmanaged, burned, and mowed reed stands. Despite these sporadic observations, our knowledge about the effects of reed management and environmental factors on the breeding success of GRW is weak.Nests of small open-nesting birds are often difficult to detect in the early stages of the breeding season (Mayfield, 1975). Due to the lack of information for the period before nests are found, estimates of mortality, survival, and breeding success can be severely biased. Mayfield (1975) developed a method for estimating breeding success that reduced potential sources of error. The proposed Mayfield estimator has been further recognized as a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). The asymptotic distribution of the MLE has been calculated, which provides a measure of asymptotic variance (Hensler and Nichols, 1981). MLE and variance can be used to test the significance of daily survival (Hensler and Nichols, 1981). Lloyd and

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“…On occasion, cuckoo eggs were laid 1-2 days preceding the onset of host egg laying (days −1 and 0). We monitored the 3-5-day period after Uzun et al (2014) revealed with a small sample (n = 5) that Great Reed Warblers in Turkey rarely sat on the nest on day 3, but regularly incubated on day 5. Day 4 was an intermediate stage, where some incubation onset occurred.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this case we hypothesize that the key date is the date of onset of incubation by the host. From prior knowledge (Uzun et al 2014) we predict that incubation starts on the day when the fourth egg is laid by Great Reed Warblers.…”

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confidence: 99%

When should Common CuckoosCuculus canoruslay their eggs in host nests?

et al. 2016

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Capsule Brood parasitic Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus chicks hatch earlier than the nestlings of their Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus hosts, but hatching priority is less consistent when Cuckoo eggs are laid after the onset of host incubation. Aim To reveal by field observations what the optimal stage is for Cuckoos to lay their eggs in relation to the host laying cycle to ensure prior hatching of the parasitic chicks. Methods We monitored the hatching of Cuckoo chicks in relation to the hosts' laying stage at which the Cuckoo eggs appeared and also monitored host incubation behaviour. Results Great Reed Warblers incubated more on day 5 after the host's onset of laying relative to day 3. All Cuckoo eggs hatched earlier than hosts when they were laid prior to the onset of host incubation (day 4). Cuckoo eggs also maintained hatching priority in about 2/3 of the nests when laid on days 5-6. Conclusions Most Cuckoo eggs are laid prior to the onset of host incubation and this, together with other adaptive mechanisms, ensures the prior hatching of Cuckoo eggs. Cuckoo eggs laid after the onset of incubation lose the advantage of prior hatching in approximately 30% of nests.

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Breeding ecology and behaviour of the Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, in Poyrazlar Lake, Turkey

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

Habitat use and nesting success of the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in different reed habitats in Serbia

Habitat use and nesting success of the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in different reed habitats in Serbia

Effect of reed burning and precipitation on the breeding success of Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, on a mining pond

When should Common CuckoosCuculus canoruslay their eggs in host nests?

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