Interspecific and intraspecific spatial separation by birds breeding in nest boxes

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Nest boxes can be seen as a conservation tool for improving low-grade nesting habitat but it is unclear how sympatric species using boxes establish a spatial distribution relative to conspecifics and heterospecifics. This study determined the distances between nest boxes occupied by Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tits (Parus major) in two British woodlands to ascertain whether spatial distribution was affected by species and, if it was, whether there were reproductive consequences of this breeding distribution. Occupancy of nest boxes at two woodland sites were recorded on an annual basis between 2010 and 2014, inclusive. Distances between nest boxes, and reproductive activity, were recorded. Even if nest boxes showed a clumped distribution in the woodlands, the occupancy of the boxes was random. Not all boxes were used and the minimum distance between occupied boxes was at least twice the distance between boxes in general. Blue Tits tended to have greater distances between boxes containing conspecifics but distances between boxes containing heterospecifics were generally of comparable lengths. Reproductive output was only affected in relation to clutch size for Blue Tits nesting at one site. Nest boxes that aim to improve habitats that lack suitable nesting sites should be placed to reflect actual dispersal distances of the focal bird species. Séparation spatiale interspécifique et intraspécifique d'oiseaux nichant dans des nichoirsRÉSUMÉ. Les nichoirs peuvent être considérés comme des outils de conservation pour améliorer les milieux de nidification de mauvaise qualité, mais on ne sait pas comment les espèces sympatriques utilisant les nichoirs établissent une répartition spatiale relativement aux individus conspécifiques et hétérospécifiques. La présente étude avait pour but de déterminer les distances entre les nichoirs occupés par les Mésanges bleues (Cyanistes caeruleus) et les Mésanges charbonnières (Parus major) dans deux boisés britanniques afin de vérifier si la répartition spatiale était influencée par les espèces et, le cas échéant, s'il y avait des conséquences sur le plan reproductif de cette répartition de nidification. L'occupation des nichoirs à deux sites boisés a été colligée annuellement de 2010 à 2014 inclusivement. La distance entre les nichoirs et l'activité reproductrice ont été notées. Même si les nichoirs montraient une répartition groupée dans les boisés, leur occupation était aléatoire. Tous les nichoirs n'étaient pas occupés et la distance minimale entre deux nichoirs occupés était au moins le double de celle entre les nichoirs en général. Chez la Mésange bleue, les distances entre les nichoirs occupés par des individus conspécifiques étaient plus grandes, mais les distances entre les nichoirs occupés par des individus hétérospécifiques étaient généralement de longueurs comparables. La seule composante affectée du succès reproducteur était la taille de ponte de la Mésange bleue nichant à un site. Les nichoirs dont l'objectif est d'améliorer l'habitat là où il man...

Effectiveness of using nest boxes as a form of bird protection after building modernization

“…Nest boxes are only useful when the number of potential nesting sites is limited (Altwegg et al 2014), otherwise they can act as ecological traps (Demeyrier et al 2016;Jokimäki et al 2018;Kettel et al 2018;Sumasgutner et al 2014a, b). Other authors have noted that prior to using nest boxes as a conservation measure the following should be assessed: i) whether nest building materials are available, ii) whether local environmental conditions positively correlate with the reproductive biology of target species (Greenwood 2007), and iii) whether the location and distribution of nest boxes match the appropriate habitats and optimal distances in intra-and interspecific relationships (Milligan and Dickinson 2016;Deeming et al 2017). Bird protection guides often suggest hanging nest boxes in a specific direction.…”

Long-term monitoring of breeding successes of Great Hornbill ( Buceros bicornis ) and Rhinoceros Hornbill ( Buceros rhinoceros ) using artificial nest boxes in Budo-Su-Ngai Padi National Park, Thailand

“…Although the above scenario has never been reported during our study period, the possibility of this occurrence cannot be ruled out. The relationship between nest density and nest selection was also described by Deeming et al (2017) and Serrano-Davies et al (2017) in their studies of nest boxes with Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in which some nest boxes were unused because of more spatial separation distance required between nests of each breeding pair of the same species. Poonsawad et al (1987) also describe that the distance between Great Hornbill nests was approximately 200 meters.…”