The paradox of nest reuse: early breeding benefits reproduction, but nest reuse increases nest predation risk

Abstract

Many animals build new nests every breeding season instead of saving time by reusing old ones. One hypothesis is that nest reuse leads to increased predation risk if predators memorize nest locations and revisit these sites. Here we examine patterns in the prevalence of facultative nest reuse. Further, we relate nest reuse and timing of breeding to nest predation risk, clutch size and nestling survival. We analyse 1570 breeding attempts of the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) from Denmark (1977-1997) and from two sites in Norway (1985-2017). The probability of reuse varied between study areas, increased in replacement clutches, and was lower in adults compared to 1-year-old breeders. Pairs reusing nests laid their first egg on average 2.6 ± 1.0 SE days later than those building new nests, suggesting they are compensating for an already late breeding schedule. Indeed, reuse increased nest predation risk, but we discovered no other productive effects of reuse. In non-predated nests, late breeders had both smaller clutches and lower nestling survival. We propose that nest predation is a contributing driver to the behaviour of building a new nest each year, whereas nest reuse is a strategy to compensate for delayed onset of breeding, mainly used by inexperienced males.

Nest predation, brood parasitism and the reproductive success of the masked laughingthrush Garrulax perspicillatus in the rural habitat of central China

“…Birds may use old nests to make an earlier breeding onset (time/energy saving hypothesis; Cavitt et al 48 and Batistali et al 49 ) or reallocate energy into reproduction. 50 However, nest reuse would contribute to the nest parasitism prevalence 51 and nest predation 52,53 since nest predators and parasites may re-check memorised nests. 3 cases of nest reuse were found in our study.…”

Why behavioral neuroscience still needs diversity?: A curious case of a persistent need

“…It becomes possible to ask questions about where and how do the circuits driving these two behaviors intersect? Studies across multiple phylogenetic groups suggest that the pace of reproduction and defense is inversely related to each other (Barbosa et al, 2018;Guo et al, 2017;Otterbeck et al, 2019;Zanette et al, 2011) . That is, predation represents an age-specific mortality risk because the risk of being eaten accumulates as an individual grows older.…”

Reuse of nests in the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus: A behavior to save time and energy and to deter nest parasites?

“…During the first nesting cycle, ectoparasites and pathogens may accumulate in nests, that can cause mortality to clutches initiated later in the same nest or reduce the fitness of the fledglings (Rendell & Verbeek, 1996). In some species, nest reuse can also result in later egg laying and also smaller clutches, which automatically leads also to lower reproduction success (Otterbeck et al, 2019). However, reusing nests can also have advantages.…”