Effects of supplemental winter feeding on House Sparrows (<i>Passer domesticus</i>) in relation to landscape structure and farming systems in southern Sweden

Post, Maria von; Stjernman, Martin; Smith, Henrik G.

doi:10.1080/00063657.2013.775216

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

(41 reference statements)

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“…The positive effects of supplementary feeding show that food availability is a limiting factor in some territories in the investigated area. This is in accordance with the conclusions in supplementary feeding experiment with other bird species (Brommer et al 2004, Von Post et al 2013, Peach et al 2018. Food availability is found to be among the most important factors influencing fluctuations in Eagle Owl population density (Penteriani & Delgado 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Supplementary feeding improves breeding performance in Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)

Pearson,

Husby

2021

Ornis Fenn

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After more than a century of persecution and low reproduction rate, the Eagle Owl is extinct, scarce or still declining in many areas. One possible mitigating action is to supply them artificially with food, but earlier experiments with supplementary feeding of other species have produced varying effects. Supplementary feeding has some caveats and controversies and needs to be tested to avoid counterintuitive management outcomes. Here we present an experimental supplementary feeding trial on a wild population of Eagle Owls on two islands in the middle of Norway. An Eagle Owl population of 27 territories was investigated from 1999 to 2019, and supplementary feeding was provided in three territories over two to seven years. Other important factors for Eagle Owl reproduction that have changed during the 21 years were, in addition to supplementary feeding, included in the GLMM analyses. We found significant earlier egg-laying in territories with supplementary feeding, and a delay in egg-laying in periods with a high corvid population. The probability of producing young increased with supplementary feeding, but was negatively affected by an increased number of pedestrians. This experiment shows that supplementary feeding can enhance breeding performance in Eagle Owls, and that food availability is a limiting factor. Despite that, we would not recommend supplementary feeding as a general mitigating method to help Eagle Owls, because it is time-consuming, the fledglings will have problems surviving if there is not enough food available naturally in the surroundings, and predatory mammals can be attracted to the Eagle Owl territories.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Supplementary feeding improves breeding performance in Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)

Pearson,

Husby

2021

Ornis Fenn

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Effects on rural House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow populations by experimental nest-site addition

Post

Smith

2015

J Ornithol

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Invertebrate prey availability limits reproductive success but not breeding population size in suburban House Sparrows Passer domesticus

Peach

Mallord

Ockendon

et al. 2015

Ibis

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Factors affecting avian demography and abundance in urban landscapes are poorly understood and this hinders attempts to manage urban bird communities. Several recent studies indicate that lack of invertebrate prey in urban landscapes may constrain avian productivity and fitness relative to that in other habitats. House Sparrow Passer domesticus populations have undergone large declines in many European urban centres and inadequate reproductive success linked to invertebrate availability has been postulated as a potential cause of these declines. We conducted a replicated supplementary feeding experiment to test whether the availability of invertebrate prey limits the breeding success and adult abundance (colony size) of House Sparrows in suburban London, where House Sparrow populations declined by 60% during the decade preceding our study. Daily mealworm provision over two successive breeding seasons, sufficient to provide 82% of chick energy requirements of House Sparrow pairs nesting within 50 m of feeders, had a large positive impact on the abundance of recently fledged birds (+62%), but only a small positive impact, limited mainly to small colonies, on the overall abundance of territorial males. Colony growth was only weakly related to fledgling abundance in the previous year and did not appear to be constrained by nest‐site availability. Conservation interventions that enhance invertebrate availability for suburban House Sparrows may increase reproductive success but are unlikely, on their own, to lead to population growth or recovery.

show abstract

Effects of supplemental winter feeding on House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in relation to landscape structure and farming systems in southern Sweden

Cited by 4 publications

References 33 publications

Supplementary feeding improves breeding performance in Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)

Supplementary feeding improves breeding performance in Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)

Effects on rural House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow populations by experimental nest-site addition

Invertebrate prey availability limits reproductive success but not breeding population size in suburban House Sparrows Passer domesticus

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