A comparative study of insect abundance and reproductive success of barn swallows Hirundo rustica
 in two urban habitats

Abstract The frequency of nest reuse and the costs and benefits of this behavior were investigated in a population of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) at Delta Marsh, Manitoba, during 1984-1986. Slightly less than half the clutches were laid in old nests, and this proportion did not change seasonally except in one late year when old nests were preferred by late-nesting pairs. The delay between nest and clutch initiation was greater for new vs. old nests, but only significantly so in June and July. Parasites (hematophagous mites) were common in old nests that had been used the previous year and significantly reduced chick survival. Swallows appeared to be able to assess parasite load and selected unparasitized old nests for the first nesting attempt. Nest instability did not appear to be a cost of nest reuse. The mean reproductive success per pair was equal for swallows using old vs. new nests, suggesting that birds can assess the costs and benefits of particular nests and nest sites. Nest reuse was, however, considerably less frequent than in other studies, presumably because the costs and benefits of this behavior vary geographically. In particular, the breeding season at Delta Marsh is extended, and the time delay caused by building a new nest is therefore less important than elsewhere. More birds have the option of avoiding the parasite costs of nest reuse while still successfully rearing two broods. Thus, individuals apparently maximize their reproductive success by adjusting their nesting strategy to account for the local costs and benefits of the two nesting options.

Download Full-text

Behavioral Assessment of the Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa): A Comparative Study of Reproductive Success

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e705812011-001 ◽

2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jilian M. Fazio

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Clouded Leopard ◽

Neofelis Nebulosa

Download Full-text

Flight speed, foraging efficiency, and daily energy budget of the Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z97-140 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 75 (7) ◽

pp. 1176-1183 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Horacio de la Cueva ◽

Robert W. Blake

Keyword(s):

Doppler Radar ◽

Flight Speed ◽

Hirundo Rustica ◽

Foraging Efficiency ◽

Barn Swallow ◽

Aerodynamic Model ◽

Daily Energy ◽

Energy Store ◽

The Mean ◽

Barn Swallows

Aerodynamic power equations predict optimal speeds at which birds ought to fly if they are to maximize time spent in the air on a given energy store (minimum power speed, Vmp), distance covered using a given amount of fuel (maximum range speed, Vmr), and rate of delivering food to the chicks in the nest (Vnest), or maximize the daily energy balance (VDBAL). With the aerodynamic model employed, these speeds are 5.3, 7.0, 7.9, and 8.9 m∙s−1, respectively, for the Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica. A comparison of the predicted flight speed with both the mean and median flight speeds (8 m∙s−1 in both cases; n = 821) recorded with Doppler radar indicates that Barn Swallows fly at speeds not significantly different from Vnest. The true sample size was unknown, and realistic sample sizes are drawn with bootstrap procedures and compared with those given by the number of measurements (821); no significant differences were found. To test the model, energy requirements for growth, prey density, and time spent foraging were varied independently in a sensitivity analysis. Large but realistic changes in these three variables do not contradict the model and predict speeds within the range measured in the field.

Download Full-text