Substrate and structure of ground nests have fitness consequences for an alpine songbird

Zwaan, Devin R. de; Martin, Kathy

doi:10.1111/ibi.12582

Cited by 24 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The horned lark is a Holarctic, ground-nesting songbird that breeds from 0 to 4,000 m above sea level (a.s.l) in sparsely-vegetated ecosystems (Beason, 1995). Typical development periods among subspecies range from 11 to 12 days for incubation and from 9 to 12 days for the nestling period (de Juana, Suárez, & Ryan, 2004). We studied a population above tree line (1,650-2,000 m a.s.l.)…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alpine habitats are cold, with short breeding seasons and extreme weather events (Martin et al, ). Ground‐nesting, open‐cup species in these habitats may be most constrained by the environment given frequent exposure to ambient conditions and predation risk (de Zwaan & Martin, ; Martin & Ghalambor, ). We studied an alpine population of a ground‐nesting songbird, the horned lark Eremophila alpestris , which can experience daily temperature fluctuations from −5 to +35°C (Camfield & Martin, ) and variable nest predation rates among years (range: 32.1%–83.8% nest loss; MacDonald, Camfield, Martin, Wilson, & Martin, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in offspring development is driven more by weather and maternal condition than predation risk

et al. 2019

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Variation in offspring development is expected to be driven by constraints on resource allocation between growth and maintenance (e.g. thermoregulation). Rapid post‐natal development decreases predation risk to offspring, while inclement weather likely prolongs development. For taxa with parental care, parental behaviour may partially buffer offspring against extrinsic drivers like predation risk and severe weather. Using a 7‐year dataset from an alpine population of horned lark Eremophila alpestris, a ground‐nesting songbird in northern British Columbia, Canada, we investigated multiple potential drivers of variation in the duration of incubation and nestling development. Using path analysis, we evaluated the direct effects of weather, predation risk and parental care on offspring development, as well as indirect developmental “carry‐over” effects of conditions during incubation on the nestling period. Nestling period duration varied by nearly 100% (7–13 days) and incubation duration by 40% (10–14 days). Cold ambient temperatures late in the nestling period prolonged development by 1 day for every 2 days below 10°C, particularly when combined with heavy precipitation. Rapid nestling development was associated with high predation risk, and prolonging development incurred a nest survival cost (–2.3% per day). Females in good condition created nest environments that promoted rapid nestling development periods (average = 8–9 days) compared to poor condition females during harsh, early‐season conditions (10–11 days), indicating parental buffering capabilities against environmental constraints. Fledging age was weakly correlated with incubation duration (r = –0.21) suggesting minimal developmental carry‐over effects. Given high nest predation risk, immediate fitness benefits can be derived by overcoming environmental constraints and reducing development time. While predation risk was influential, inclement weather and maternal condition had stronger effects on variation in offspring development. Addressing multiple drivers of variation in key life‐history traits can provide important context for understanding life‐history theory under changing environmental conditions. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13273/suppinfo is available for this article.

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Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in offspring development is driven more by weather and maternal condition than predation risk

et al. 2019

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“…) and, in some cases, may improve nest survival by deterring predators (Weidinger ). Still, the explanatory power of our nest‐survival model was relatively low ( R 2 = 0.13), indicating major sources of variance we were unable to address such as the inherent predation risk of nest sites related to nest substrate or cover (de Zwaan and Martin ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Efficiency and fitness consequences of two trapping methods for recapturing ground‐nesting songbirds

2018

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Capturing nesting songbirds is a core component of many field studies. However, avoidance of traps and mist‐nets by birds can reduce capture efficiency and bias study results, particularly when individuals need to be recaptured multiple times. We describe a novel capture method—the noose‐line—for an alpine population of Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) studied during three breeding seasons (2015–2017) in northern British Columbia, Canada. Our objective was to develop a safe, efficient method to recapture individuals that exhibited trap avoidance. We compared the capture efficiency (trap success relative to capture effort) and fitness consequences (nest survival and nest attentiveness) of the noose‐line (non‐selective method) to those of a more traditional bownet trap (selective method) for both naïve (not previously captured) and previously captured Horned Larks. Mean trapping success for the noose‐line was high for both naïve (89.7%) and previously captured (62.9%) birds, whereas mean trapping success for the more visible bownet was strongly influenced by bird experience (naïve = 41.4%, previously captured = 12.1%). However, mean capture effort (time required for successful capture) was greater for noose‐lines than the bownet (45.3 min vs. 17.5 min) and noose‐lines were more likely to capture non‐targeted individuals. The trap type used to capture birds did not influence nest survival. Overall, our results suggest that noose‐lines can be an effective option for capturing ground‐nesting songbirds, particularly for studies where birds must be recaptured, e.g., to retrieve tracking devices or repeatedly measure body condition.

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“…The ecological function of nests extends far beyond simply being a receptacle for eggs and offspring (Mainwaring et al . ; de Zwaan & Martin ), or adults in the case of nests used for winter torpor (i.e. natural hypothermia, Bozinovic et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For birds, nests play a critical role in the regulation of temperature, humidity, and pH for developing offspring, and can provide protection against potential predators (Collias & Collias ; Álvarez & Barba ; Mainwaring et al . ; de Zwaan & Martin,). Nest materials and structure can therefore be important factors influencing the breeding success of many bird species (Webb ; Álvarez et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevation has contrasting effects on avian and mammalian nest traits in the Andean temperate mountains

et al. 2019

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Nest building is a widespread breeding strategy across taxa. Nest composition and structure can play a critical role in the breeding success and/or adult survival of nest-building vertebrates. Although nest traits are expected to vary adaptively across elevational gradients, few studies address this relationship. We studied the variation in nest traits (composition and structure) across elevation for two taxa with two different functions in the Andean temperate forests of southern Chile: a bird (Aphrastura spinicauda, Furnariidae, 170 breeding nests) and a marsupial mammal (Dromiciops gliroides, Microbiotheriidae, 91 winter torpor nests). For A. spinicauda, we further assessed how nest traits influenced clutch size and hatching success. Both species used fewer types of nest materials (items) with increasing elevation, and a greater proportion of leaves were used in highland compared to lowland forests. Aphrastura spinicauda used feathers and hair, and D. gliroides used bryophytes more frequently in lowland forests. The mass and volume of nests decreased with increasing elevation for A. spinicauda and increased for D. gliroides. Nest traits had subsequent fitness consequences for A. spinicauda, such that: (i) greater cup volume and depth were associated with larger clutch sizes, (ii) more items used during nest building were linked to improved clutch size at high elevation only, and (iii) nest wall thickness was negatively associated with hatching success. Thus, in temperate mountain ecosystems, elevation may be an important factor influencing nest-building behaviour for cavity-using vertebrates. However, the direction of the elevational effects may vary among taxa and nest functions in these ecosystems.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

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Substrate and structure of ground nests have fitness consequences for an alpine songbird

Cited by 24 publications

References 56 publications

Variation in offspring development is driven more by weather and maternal condition than predation risk

Variation in offspring development is driven more by weather and maternal condition than predation risk

Efficiency and fitness consequences of two trapping methods for recapturing ground‐nesting songbirds

Elevation has contrasting effects on avian and mammalian nest traits in the Andean temperate mountains

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