Cohabitation of tree holes by ants and breeding birds in a temperate deciduous forest

Mitrus, Sławomir; Hebda, Grzegorz; Wesołowski, Tomasz

doi:10.1080/02827581.2015.1072239

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…Few studies have reported ant broods in bird nests, presumably because such cases have been frequently overlooked, and the mechanism of ant colonisation of bird nests remains unclear 21,22 . Limited information on the prevalence of ant broods in bird nests comes from Europe and the Americas, where the high occurrence of ant broods in the nests of some common birds (over 20%) suggest interspecific attraction, with at least one side of the system gaining an advantage from the association [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] .…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The mechanism underpinning nest colonisation by ants could involve exploitation of the advantageous thermal conditions provided by the structural properties of bird nests, and/or the body heat from the avian hosts 26 . Access to a protein-rich food resource in the form of other arthropods inhabiting bird nests may also attract ant workers to forage in such places 22,24,29 .…”

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Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants

Maziarz

Broughton

Casacci

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure. This cohabitation of birds and nest-dwelling invertebrates may foster symbiotic relationships between them, but evidence is lacking. We investigated whether ants are attracted to bird nests by the heat generated by the hosts, and/or the nests’ structural insulation properties, to raise their broods (larvae and/or pupae) in advantageous thermal conditions. We found that the endothermic activity of birds within their nests created ‘heat islands’, with thermal conditions potentially promoting the survival and development of ant larvae in cool environments. We experimentally confirmed that the presence of heat within bird nests, and not the structure itself, attracted the ants to colonise the nests. As ants might benefit from exploiting warm bird nests, this may be a previously overlooked commensal, mutualistic or parasitic relationship which may be ecologically significant and globally widespread among various nesting birds and reproducing ants. Similar interspecific interactions may exist with other arthropods that reproduce in avian and mammalian nests. Further research is needed to reveal the nature of these relationships between such taxa, and to understand the role of warm-blooded animals as thermal ecosystem engineers.

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants

Maziarz

Broughton

Casacci

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…These first records of the occupation of wood warbler nests by ants raising their broods suggest that this phenomenon could be relatively common in some areas and may be underreported. Thus, the presence of ant broods on or inside the nests of other bird species might be more widespread in these environments than the available records (Blem and Blem 1994;Lambrechts et al 2008;Mitrus et al 2015) would suggest. Similar associations may also occur in bird species that often build their nests at or just above the ground, but this would require confirmation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Occupation of wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nests by Myrmica and Lasius ants

Maziarz¹,

Broughton

Hebda

et al. 2018

Insect. Soc.

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Bird nests can provide habitats for various invertebrates, including ectoparasites, scavengers and predators. Records of ants associating with active bird nests mostly involve the insects searching for food, with some exceptional records of ants raising their broods (eggs, larvae or pupae) within songbird nests in tree cavities. We present data for a previously undocumented, but apparently regular, occurrence of ants and their broods within the active nests of a songbird, the wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein, 1793), which builds domed nests on the ground in European forests. Systematic recording found ants, mostly Myrmica ruginodis Nylander, 1846, in 43% of 80 wood warbler nests in the primary forest of Białowieża National Park (Poland) during the springs of 2016-2017, including ant broods in 30%. Ad hoc records from this site in 2004-2015 found ants in a further 29% of 163 nests, including broods in 20%, indicating a regular association. However, examination of 37 nests from secondary forest in Switzerland and Great Britain founds ants in only 14%, and broods in just 5%. We discuss the potential drivers and mechanisms of the observed association between breeding wood warblers and ants, including the apparent difference in frequency between the primary and secondary forests.

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“…We investigated a previously recognized but poorly understood association of birds and ants: the colonization of bird nests by ants (Smith 1928;Fessl et al 2006;Lambrechts et al 2008;Gouveia et al 2012;Lambrechts and Schatz 2014;Mitrus et al 2015;Maziarz et al 2018).…”

Section: Occurrence Of Ants In Bird Nestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Workers of many ant species have been found in the nests of birds (Hicks 1959;Blem and Blem 1994;Di Iorio and Turienzo 2009) and can even kill nestlings (reviewed in Suarez et al 2005;DeFisher and Bonter 2013). A few species have been documented occupying bird nests, wherein ants will move all or a significant portion of their colony into the nest material (Smith 1928;Fessl et al 2006;Lambrechts et al 2008;Gouveia et al 2012;Lambrechts and Schatz 2014;Mitrus et al 2015;Maziarz et al 2018). However, despite the huge number of studies conducted on nesting birds, documentation of ants occupying bird nests has rarely been reported, making it difficult to accurately assess how frequent this phenomenon is or the effect it could have on birds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and consequences of ants and other arthropods in active nests of Midwestern birds

et al. 2019

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Many organisms build nests which create unique microhabitats that are exploited by other animals. In turn, these nest colonizers may positively or negatively influence nest owners. Bird nests are known to harbor communities that include both harmful and possibly beneficial species. We quantified the nest arthropod communities of 10 bird species in Illinois, USA, along a land-use gradient, focusing on ant prevalence. We found eight ant species in nests, and for three species, at least part of their colonies inhabited nests. The odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile (Say, 1836)) was the most common species and maintained the largest colonies in nest material. Forest-cover percentage surrounding bird nests best predicted ant-colony presence. There was little evidence that ant presence influenced abundance or prevalence of other arthropods within nests with the exception of Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum (Linnaeus, 1758)) nests, where a negative association between T. sessile presence and abundance of fly larvae was found. Breeding success did not differ between nests with and without ant colonies for any bird species. Ant species that exhibit polydomy and nomadism may be more likely to occupy ephemeral resources like bird nests than other ants. How widespread this phenomenon is and the degree of commensalism that both parties experience is unclear and warrants further investigation.

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Cohabitation of tree holes by ants and breeding birds in a temperate deciduous forest

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants

Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants

Occupation of wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nests by Myrmica and Lasius ants

Prevalence and consequences of ants and other arthropods in active nests of Midwestern birds

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