Yellow Pine Chipmunks Cannot Climb Quaking Aspens: Implications for Avian Nest Site Selection

Richardson, T. Will; Wall, Stephen B. Vander

doi:10.3398/1527-0904(2007)67[251:ypcccq]2.0.co;2

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Furthermore, not all mesic microhabitats may be associated with high predation rates even in xeric landscapes. Within sagebrush‐dominated landscapes similar to ours, Heltzel and Earnst (2006) did find higher predation rates in willow habitats, but they also found relatively low predation rates and high nest survival in aspen Populus tremuloides , which may result from the unique physical features of aspen that reduce nest accessibility to certain predators (Richardson and Vander Wall 2007). The xeric–mesic gradient is probably less relevant to cowbird predation and cowbirds occur throughout much of the yellow warbler range (Lowther 1993).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

An ‘ecological trap’ for yellow warbler nest microhabitat selection

Latif

Heath

Rotenberry

2011

Oikos

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Contrary to assumptions of habitat selection theory, fi eld studies frequently detect ' ecological traps ' , where animals prefer habitats conferring lower fi tness than available alternatives. Evidence for traps includes cases where birds prefer breeding habitats associated with relatively high nest predation rates despite the importance of nest survival to avian fi tness. Because birds select breeding habitat at multiple spatial scales, the processes underlying traps for birds are likely scale-dependent. We studied a potential ecological trap for a population of yellow warblers Dendroica petechia while paying specifi c attention to spatial scale. We quantifi ed nest microhabitat preference by comparing nest-versus random-site microhabitat structure and related preferred microhabitat features with nest survival. Over a nine-year study period and three study sites, we found a consistently negative relationship between preferred microhabitat patches and nest survival rates. Data from experimental nests described a similar relationship, corroborating the apparent positive relationship between preferred microhabitat and nest predation. As do other songbirds, yellow warblers select breeding habitat in at least two steps at two spatial scales; (1) they select territories at a coarser spatial scale and (2) nest microhabitats at a fi ner scale from within individual territories. By comparing nest versus random sites within territories, we showed that maladaptive nest microhabitat preferences arose during within-territory nest site selection (step 2). Furthermore, nest predation rates varied at a fi ne enough scale to provide individual yellow warblers with lower-predation alternatives to preferred microhabitats. Given these results, tradeoff s between nest survival and other fi tness components are unlikely since fi tness components other than nest survival are probably more relevant to territory-scale habitat selection. Instead, exchanges of individuals among populations facing diff erent predation regimes, the recent proliferation of the parasitic brown-headed cowbird Molothrus ater , and/or anthropogenic changes to riparian vegetation structure are more likely explanations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

An ‘ecological trap’ for yellow warbler nest microhabitat selection

Latif

Heath

Rotenberry

2011

Oikos

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“…inaccessible crevices and close to a cliff’s edge (the latter being more related to adult safety; Velando & Márquez, 2002). Some tree species are also difficult for terrestrial predators to climb (Richardson & Vander Wall, 2007), but whether this influences nest tree selection by birds is unclear. Møller (1988) found that European blackbirds ( Turdus merula ) generally nested in the safest sites (as determined using artificial nests), but he found no apparent differences in site use related to the presence of nest predators (magpies, Pica pica ); this result could indicate an absence of conflict between nest safety and other factors such as thermoecological constraints, but this was not examined.…”

Section: Dealing With Nest Predationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predators and the breeding bird: behavioral and reproductive flexibility under the risk of predation

Lima¹

2009

Biological Reviews

677

549

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A growing body of work suggests that breeding birds have a significant capacity to assess and respond, over ecological time, to changes in the risk of predation to both themselves and their eggs or nestlings. This review investigates the nature of this flexibility in the face of predation from both behavioural and reproductive perspectives, and also explores several directions for future research. Most available work addresses different aspects of nest predation. A substantial change in breeding location is perhaps the best documented response to nest predation, but such changes are not always observed and not necessarily the best strategy. Changes in nesting microhabitat (to more concealed locations) following predation are known to occur. Surprisingly little work addresses the proactive avoidance of areas with many nest predators, but such avoidance is probably widespread. Individual birds could conceivably adopt anti-predator strategies based on the nest predators actually present in an area, but such effects have yet to be demonstrated. In fact, the ways in which birds assess the risk of nest predation is unclear. Nest defence in birds has historically received much attention, but little is known about how it interacts with other aspects of decision-making by parents. Other studies concentrate on predation risk to adults. Some findings suggest that risk to adults themselves influences territory location, especially relative to raptor nests. An almost completely unexplored area concerns the sorts of social protection from predators that might exist during the breeding season. Flocking typical of the non-breeding season appears unusual while breeding, but a mated pair may sometimes act as a "flock of two". Opportunistic heterospecific sociality may exist, with heterospecific protector species associations more prevalent than currently appreciated. The dynamics of singing during the breeding season may also respond to variation in predation risk, but empirical research on this subject is limited. Furthermore, a few theoretical and empirical studies suggest that changes in predation risk also influence the behaviour of lekking males. The major influence of predators on avian life histories is undoubtedly expressed at a broad phylogenetic scale, but several studies hint at much flexibility on an ecological time scale. Some species may forgo breeding completely if the risk of nest predation is too high, and a few studies document smaller clutch sizes in response to an increase in nest predation. Recent evidence suggests that a female may produce smaller eggs rather than smaller clutches following an increase in nest predation risk. Such an increase may also influence decisions about intraspecific brood parasitism. There are no clear examples of changes in clutch/egg size with changes in risk experienced by adults, but parental responses to predators have clear consequences for offspring fitness. Changes in risk to adults may also influence body mass changes across the breeding season, although research here is spar...

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“…Nest predation is the most important source of mortality in altricial birds [1] . In many species and habitats, however, nest predation risk varies predictably with nest-site characteristics, thus predation refuges, defined as places where predation is lower than elsewhere, may exist [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] . An obvious question arises why do only some individuals nest in less vulnerable sites?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with Shifting Nest Predation Refuges by European Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus

et al. 2014

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Predation, the most important source of nest mortality in altricial birds, has been a subject of numerous studies during past decades. However, the temporal dynamics between changing predation pressures and parental responses remain poorly understood. We analysed characteristics of 524 nests of European reed warblers monitored during six consecutive breeding seasons in the same area, and found some support for the shifting nest predation refuge hypothesis. Nest site characteristics were correlated with nest fate, but a nest with the same nest-site attributes could be relatively safe in one season and vulnerable to predation in another. Thus nest predation refuges were ephemeral and there was no between-season consistency in nest predation patterns. Reed warblers that lost their first nests in a given season did not disperse farther for the subsequent reproductive attempt, compared to successful individuals, but they introduced more changes to their second nest sites. In subsequent nests, predation risk remained constant for birds that changed nest-site characteristics, but increased for those that did not. At the between-season temporal scale, individual birds did not perform better with age in terms of reducing nest predation risk. We conclude that the experience acquired in previous years may not be useful, given that nest predation refuges are not stable.

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Yellow Pine Chipmunks Cannot Climb Quaking Aspens: Implications for Avian Nest Site Selection

Cited by 7 publications

References 39 publications

An ‘ecological trap’ for yellow warbler nest microhabitat selection

An ‘ecological trap’ for yellow warbler nest microhabitat selection

Predators and the breeding bird: behavioral and reproductive flexibility under the risk of predation

Coping with Shifting Nest Predation Refuges by European Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus

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