Effects of Nest Reuse and Onset of Incubation on Microbial Growth and Viability of Wood Duck Eggs

The condor

Johnathan G. Walls¹ 

关键词: Aix sponsa;    egg viability;    microbial ecology;    nest reuse;    onset of incubation;    Wood Duck;   

DOI  :  10.1525/cond.2012.110105

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Central Ornithology Publication Office

【 摘 要 】

Abstract. In many birds, egg viability declines the longer that eggs remain unincubated (i.e., incubation delay), possibly because of increased levels of microbial infection. Reuse of nests is common in cavity-nesting species and may also increase exposure of eggs to microbes. Starting incubation before the clutch is complete may help protect early-laid eggs from microbial infection. In this study, we tested the effects of nest cleaning, length of incubation delay, and onset of night incubation on growth of microbes on Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) eggshells and examined the effect of microbial infection on hatching success. We used nest boxes that had been cleaned or not cleaned of previous nesting materials and sampled microbes on eggshells during early and mid egg laying and after the start of night incubation. We detected levels of eggshell microbes (101 colony forming units [CFU] egg-1) lower than at more tropical locations (103–4 CFU egg-1). Levels of heterotrophic bacteria were 2.2 times greater in unclea...

【 授权许可】

CC BY