Density Dependence in Reproduction of the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) at High Population Levels

Török, János; Tóth, L. V.

doi:10.2307/4776

Cited by 87 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Such an aggregation, often accompanied by relative food shortage (e.g., Sanz 2001) and/or intraspecific interference (reviewed in Newton 1998), is the probable reason for low reproductive success in the preferred habitat. Note that experimentally induced high densities have negatively affected the fledging success and quality of fledglings but not clutch size in pied Ficedula hypoleuca and collared Ficedula albicollis flycatchers (Alatalo and Lundberg 1984;To¨ro¨k and Toth 1988) -a result clearly resembling the situation with the tits in the deciduous habitat. Densitydependent decrease in reproductive output has also been recorded in the common goldeneye Bucephala clangula after nest-box provision (Po¨ysa¨and Po¨ysa¨2002).…”

Section: Two Possible Scenarios Of What Had Happenedmentioning

confidence: 81%

Providing nest boxes for hole-nesting birds – Does habitat matter?

et al. 2005

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Nest boxes are a popular management tool to increase nest site availability for hole-nesting birds, but biological consequences of this technique in different habitats are poorly studied. In our study area in southwestern Estonia, nest boxes for small passerines were set up in deciduous and coniferous woods. Great tits Parus major preferred the food-rich deciduous habitat for breeding, as judged by higher nest-box occupation, earlier egg-laying and larger clutches and eggs. However, in coniferous habitat more and heavier young fledged per nest, and the return rate of both fledglings and adults was higher. We propose two mutually non-exclusive explanations, both related to the maladaptive outcome of the provision of nest boxes: (i) in the preferred habitat, nest boxes caused a supra-optimal breeding density leading to an ecological trap; (ii) boxes drastically improved the non-preferred habitat, but birds were unable to exploit the breeding habitat fully. One should be careful in providing large numbers of artificial nest sites in preferred habitats. Sometimes it would be more preferable to improve less favourable habitats by removing critical constraints.

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Section: Two Possible Scenarios Of What Had Happenedmentioning

confidence: 81%

Providing nest boxes for hole-nesting birds – Does habitat matter?

et al. 2005

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“…Townsend’s ( Dendroica townsendi ) and hermit warblers ( D. occidentalis ; Owen-Ashley and Butler 2004). We studied competition between the species during the breeding season, a period in which reproductive success depends on both intraspecific (Török and Tóth 1988) and interspecific competition (e.g. Gustafsson 1987 but see Török and Tóth 1988).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We studied competition between the species during the breeding season, a period in which reproductive success depends on both intraspecific (Török and Tóth 1988) and interspecific competition (e.g. Gustafsson 1987 but see Török and Tóth 1988). However, selection in the non-breeding season might also influence coexistence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food availability is another important factor which is known to influence the reproductive success of flycatchers (Török and Tóth 1988; Siikamäki 1998). It remains untested whether habitat differences result in differences in food abundance between breeding territories of the two species and how this might affect their reproductive success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temporal differences in food abundance promote coexistence between two congeneric passerines

et al. 2009

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Many related species share the same environment and utilize similar resources. This is surprising because based on the principle of competitive exclusion one would predict that the superior competitor would drive the other species to extinction; coexistence is only predicted if interspecific competition is weaker than intraspecific competition. Interspecific competition is frequently reduced by differential resource use, resulting in habitat segregation. In this paper, we use the closely related collared and pied flycatcher to assess the potential of habitat differences to affect interspecific competition through a different mechanism, namely by generating temporal differences in availability of similar food resources between the two species. We found that the tree species composition of the breeding territories of the two species differed, mainly by a higher abundance of coniferous species around nest-boxes occupied by pied flycatchers. The temporal availability of caterpillars was measured using frass traps under four deciduous and two coniferous tree species. Deciduous tree species showed an early and narrow peak in abundance, which contrasted with the steady increase in caterpillar abundance in the coniferous tree species through the season. We subsequently calculated the predicted total caterpillar biomass available in each flycatcher territory. This differed between the species, with biomass decreasing more slowly in pied flycatcher territories. Caterpillar biomass is strongly correlated with the reproductive success of collared flycatchers, but much less so with pied flycatchers. However, caterpillar availability can only partly explain the differences in seasonal decline of reproductive success between the two species; we discuss additional factors that may contribute to this species difference. Overall, our results are consistent with the suggestion that minor habitat differences between these two species may contribute to promoting their coexistence.

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“…The best evidence in passerines for density-dependent feedbacks caused by crowding during the breeding period comes from species using nest boxes (Alatalo and Lundberg 1984, Stenning et al 1988, Torok and Toth 1988, Perrins 1990, Both 1998a or from those confined to islands (e.g., Arcese et al 1992, McCallum et al 2000. The best evidence in passerines for density-dependent feedbacks caused by crowding during the breeding period comes from species using nest boxes (Alatalo and Lundberg 1984, Stenning et al 1988, Torok and Toth 1988, Perrins 1990, Both 1998a or from those confined to islands (e.g., Arcese et al 1992, McCallum et al 2000.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimentally Reducing Neighbor Density Affects Reproduction and Behavior of a Migratory Songbird

Sillett

Rodenhouse

Holmes

2004

Ecology

127

161

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Because populations of territorial birds are relatively stable compared to those of other animal taxa, they are often considered to be tightly regulated. However, the mechanisms that produce density-dependent feedbacks on demographic rates and thus regulate these populations are poorly understood, particularly for migratory species. We conducted a three-year density-reduction experiment to investigate the behavioral mechanisms that regulate the abundance of a Nearctic-Neotropical migrant passerine, the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens), during the breeding season. We found that the number of young fledged per territory, territory size, and the proportion of time males spent foraging were significantly greater on territories around which neighbor density was experimentally reduced compared to control territories. Territory quality, proportion of nests depredated per territory, and male countersinging rates were not statistically different between treatments. These results indicate that individuals with more neighbors (i.e., in neighborhoods with greater conspecific density) have reduced breeding productivity. The results also suggest that a crowding mechanism that mediates interactions among territory-holders could generate the density dependence needed to regulate local abundance, at least in areas of homogeneous, high-quality habitat. The effect of the neighbor-density reduction on warbler fecundity and behavior varied with annual fluctuations in weather and food availability, and was strongest in 1997, an El Niñ o year, when conditions for breeding were least favorable. This variation in our experimental results among years implies that density dependence due to crowding may have its strongest impact on local abundance when environmental conditions are relatively poor.

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Density Dependence in Reproduction of the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) at High Population Levels

Cited by 87 publications

References 13 publications

Providing nest boxes for hole-nesting birds – Does habitat matter?

Providing nest boxes for hole-nesting birds – Does habitat matter?

Temporal differences in food abundance promote coexistence between two congeneric passerines

Experimentally Reducing Neighbor Density Affects Reproduction and Behavior of a Migratory Songbird

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