Breeding Ecology and Nest-Site Selection of Song Wrens in Central Panama

Abstract We describe nest-site selection and report measures of breeding productivity from a population of Song Wrens (Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus) in central Panama. We studied 31 pairs from 1995 to 1998 and collected data on nest predation from 1996 to 1998. Song Wrens are year-round residents that build breeding nests for reproduction and dormitory nests for roosting. Twenty-five of 50 Song Wren breeding nests produced fledglings (daily nest survival rate = 0.968). Song Wrens usually (78%) placed their breeding nests in ant-defended acacias (Acacia melanoceras). However, nests placed in acacias did not experience lower rates of nest predation than nests placed in sites not defended by ants. The population-wide breeding season was seven months long, but individual pairs often bred within a span of only 2.5 months. Modal clutch size was two (n = 42), but the frequency of three-egg clutches was high (≥27%). Pairs that lost eggs or chicks renested more quickly than pairs that fledged young and attempted a second brood. Observed annual production of young was 1.4 fledglings per pair. Compared with other wrens, Song Wrens had a much longer breeding season and longer intervals between broods. The annual productivity of Song Wrens was the lowest recorded for any wren, which may have been due to smaller clutch sizes, long intervals between broods, and the correspondingly low number of nesting attempts per pair per year.

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Nest Predation and Nest-Site Selection of a Western Population of the Hermit Thrush

The Condor ◽

10.2307/1368432 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 90 (1) ◽

pp. 51-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 377

Author(s):

Thomas E. Martin ◽

James J. Roper

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Nest Predation ◽

Nest Site ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Western Population ◽

Hermit Thrush ◽

Selection Of

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Breeding ecology, nest characteristics, and nest-site selection of stream- and lake-dwelling rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z87-059 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 379-390 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Douglas B. Noltie ◽

Miles H. A. Keenleyside

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Nest Site ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Nest Size ◽

Breeding Ecology ◽

Breeding Populations ◽

Rock Bass ◽

Influence Of Water ◽

Ambloplites Rupestris ◽

Selection Of

This study examines the breeding ecology, nests, and nest-site selection of stream-dwelling rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque), populating the Middle Thames River near London, Ontario. Breeding in this stream began earlier, at lower temperatures, and continued longer than in other documented lake-breeding populations. These responses were related to flooding which repeatedly thwarted breeding attempts. Nesting and spawning continued asynchronously throughout the seasons, increasing breeding opportunities. Older, larger males spawned earliest in the season, allowing them increased renesting opportunities. The duration of each stage in nesting and brood development was documented. Nests were generally larger than those of other rock bass populations. Male size and nest size were positively related. Nests were elliptical rather than circular as in lakes, reflecting the influence of water flow. Males demonstrated nest-site selection: individual nest sites were allocated nonrandomly with respect to depth, reflecting the availability of appropriate nesting substrates, and the majority of nests were constructed downstream from obstructions to current. Many of these features of rock bass reproduction can be interpreted as being responses to the relatively variable and rigorous environment of the stream habitat as compared with lakes.

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Nest site selection and breeding ecology of the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) in Algeria

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01524 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. e01524

Author(s):

Karim Loucif ◽

Mohamed Cherif Maazi ◽

Moussa Houhamdi ◽

Haroun Chenchouni

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Nest Site ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Breeding Ecology

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Ecology and nest-site selection of leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/0006-3207(83)90047-2 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 47-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

N. Mrosovsky

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Nest Site ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Dermochelys Coriacea ◽

Leatherback Turtles ◽

Selection Of

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Factors affecting nest-site selection of Sabine's Gulls in the eastern Canadian Arctic

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z05-107 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 83 (9) ◽

pp. 1240-1245 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Iain J Stenhouse ◽

H Grant Gilchrist ◽

William A Montevecchi

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Nest Site ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Breeding Habitat ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Invertebrate Prey ◽

Terrestrial Invertebrate ◽

Individual Fitness ◽

Sabine’S Gull ◽

Selection Of

The selection of breeding habitat is of prime importance for individual fitness. Among birds, natural selection should favour the ability to recognize and select habitat suitable for nesting and rearing chicks. This study compares the characteristics of Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini (Sabine, 1819), nest sites with random points across a coastal tundra environment on Southampton Island, Nunavut, Canada. The availability of terrestrial invertebrate prey was also examined among habitats. Sabine's Gull nests were nonrandomly distributed in relation to vegetation, substrate, and proximity to water. Gulls nested within approximately 1 km of the coastline and selected sites with the greatest proportions of moss and standing water (i.e., they nested close to the edge of small freshwater ponds near shore). However, there were no detectable differences in characteristics between successful and unsuccessful nests within preferred habitat. The dynamics of terrestrial invertebrate prey communities varied between years, but the volume of invertebrates in Sabine's Gull nesting habitat was intermediate between the most productive habitats and the least productive habitats in both years. However, nest-site selection in Sabine's Gulls may also be influenced by the availability of aquatic invertebrates (not examined in this study) and their proximity to the marine coastline, where chicks are taken to be reared.

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