Nest predation risk influences a cavity-nesting passerine during the post-hatching care period

Abstract

Some nest predators visually assess parental activities to locate a prey nest, whereas parents modify fitness-related traits to reduce the probability of nest predation, and/or nestlings fledge early to escape the risky nest environment. Here, we experimentally tested if the parental and fledging behaviours of oriental tits (Parus minor) that bred in the nest-box varied with cavity conditions associated with nest predation risk during the nestling period. The entrance of experimental nest-boxes was enlarged to create a long-term risk soon after clutch competition. A short-term risk, using simulated playbacks with a coexisting control bird and avian nest predator sound, was simultaneously applied to the nest-boxes whether or not the long-term risk existed. We found that the parents reduced their hourly feeding trips, and the nestlings fledged early with the long-term risk, although the nest mortality of the two nest-box types was low and did not differ. While this study presents a portion of prey–predator interactions with the associated uncertainties, our results highlight that the entrance size of cavities for small hole-nesting birds may play an important role in determining their fitness-related traits depending upon the degree of perceived risk of nest predation.

Control of invasive predators improves breeding success of an endangered alpine passerine

“…, Yoon et al . ). The length of the nesting period of Rockwren (44 days; Michelsen‐Heath ) is unusually long for a small passerine and also increases vulnerability to predation (Martin ).…”

Flexible responses to stage‐specific offspring threats

“…Other studies have found that presence of a threat, such as a predator that is a danger throughout nesting, induces changes in the length of the nestling stage; presumably, an accelerated nestling stage decreases the time that undeveloped nestlings are at risk in the nest (Hua et al, ; Yoon et al, ). We found no evidence that the nestling stage was accelerated in the presence of house wrens, despite existence of variation in the length of the nestling stage.…”

“…Threats from predation can result in costly alterations in parental behavior throughout nesting (i.e., both egg and nestling stages) because general offspring predators are often relevant throughout the entire breeding attempt (e.g., Fontaine & Martin, ; Zanette, White, Allen, & Clinchy, ). In the presence of a threat, parents can alter behavior that results in reduced clutch size (Doligez & Clobert, ; Eggers, Griesser, Nystrand, & Ekman, ; Hua, Sieving, Fletcher, & Wright, ; Zanette et al, ), reduced clutch mass (Fontaine & Martin, ), changes in incubation behavior (Conway & Martin, ; Ferretti, Llambías, & Martin, ; Ibáñez‐Álamo & Soler, ; Massaro, Starling‐Windhof, Briskie, & Martin, ), and reduced nestling provisioning (Chalfoun & Martin, ; Dudeck, Clinchy, Allen, & Zanette, ; Fontaine & Martin, ; Pretelli, Isacch, & Cardoni, ; Sofaer, Sillett, Peluc, Morrison, & Ghalambor, ; Yoon, Kim, Joo, & Park, ; Zanette et al, ). Increased time off the nest during incubation results in eggs with decreased embryo mass, reduced residual yolk, and reduced growth efficiency (Olson, Vleck, & Vleck, ) and decreased nestling provisioning is associated with slower nestling growth and poorer quality nestlings (Scheuerlein & Gwinner, ; Thomson et al, ; Zanette et al, ).…”

“…Alternatively, if Carolina chickadees show an integrated response, we expect to see that parents in the presence of house wrens will alter their reproductive strategy in both the egg and the nestling stage, even though house wrens are primarily a threat only during the former (Figure b). Specifically, we predict that in addition to egg stage changes, parents will also decrease nestling provisioning (Chalfoun & Martin, ; Dudeck et al, ; Fontaine & Martin, ; Pretelli et al, ; Sofaer et al, ; Yoon et al, ; Zanette et al, ) and decrease nestling stage length which may reduce time at risk in the nest (Hua et al, ; Remeŝ & Martin, ; Yoon et al, ). We discriminate between the predictions of a dissociable response versus the predictions of an integrated response by measuring and comparing life history traits of free‐living chickadees naturally nesting in boxes that are near nesting house wrens to chickadees nesting in boxes that are not.…”

“…Specifically, we predict that in addition to egg stage changes, parents will also decrease nestling provisioning (Chalfoun & Martin, 2010;Dudeck et al, 2018;Fontaine & Martin, 2006;Pretelli et al, 2016;Sofaer et al, 2012;Yoon et al, 2016;Zanette et al, 2011) and decrease nestling stage length which may reduce time at risk in the nest (Hua et al, 2014;Remeŝ & Martin, 2002;Yoon et al, 2016).…”