Timing, Nest Site Selection and Multiple Breeding in House Martins: Age-Related Variation and the Preference for Self-Built Mud Nests

Ardea

Theunis Piersma¹ 

[1] 1 Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands; 2 Dept. of Marine Ecology, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, The Netherlands ([e-mail])

关键词: Timing Of Reproduction;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie/Netherlands Ornithological Union

【 摘 要 】

AlmostallaccountsofthereproductivebiologyofHouseMartinsDelichonurbicumarebasedonstudiesofbirdsbreedinginartificialneststhataremonitoredeveryfewdays.Here,IprovideastudyonHouseMartinsusingself-builtmudnestsatasinglecolonyinGaast,TheNetherlands(225nestattemptsin2004–2011);thestagesofbreedingwereinferredfrom‘remote’observationsofparentalandchickbehaviour.Smallchickswerenoticedfrom30Mayonwards,withafirstpeakofnestlingappearancein5–9June.Asecond,andlarger,peakinsmallchicksoccurredinlateJune.LargechicksfromfirstbroodswerenoticedfrommidJunetomidAugust,andthefirstlargechicksfromsecondbroodsfromlateJulyonward.ThelastfledglingsleftnestsinlateSeptember.Amongthe205successfulnestattempts,62%hadonebrood,and38%hadtwobroods(threeinonecase).Thefirstnestsitestobeoccupiedinmid-Aprilwerealwaysoldneststhathadsurvivedthewinter.Surprisingly,theuseofoldnestsdidnotresultinearlierincubationandchick-rearingactivities.Nevertheless,re-usednear-intactoldnestshostedmultiplebroodsin72%ofcases,amuchhigherpercentagethaninnewlybuiltnests(20%).TheearlieroccupationofoldnestsandthegreaterincidenceofsecondbroodswasfurtherassociatedwitharelativelyhighpercentageofolderHouseMartins.Whereasonly8%of126nestshostingonebroodwereoccupiedbyatleastoneknowngt;2ndcalendaryearbird,nofewerthan30%ofthe79nestswithtwobroodswere.Despiteasteadyofferingofcleanwood-concretenestsatthecolony,suchartificialalternativeswereoccupiedinonly23outof307possiblecases,ratherthanthenear-100%occupancyofoldmudnestsandnestremains.Also,thestartdateofoccupationwaslaterthanthatofintactorpartialoldmudnests.Thisstrongpreferencebyolderbirdsfor(theremainsof)existingmudnestsandtherejectionofclean,strongartificialnests,impliesthatanycostsofbeingexposedtogreaternumbersofectoparasitessuchaslousefliesCrataerinahirundinisoverwinteringinoldnestsareoutweighedbythesignalofqualityinherentintheoccupationofparasite-infestedoldmudnests.

【 授权许可】

Unknown