scholarly journals Breeding biology of two sympatric Nesospiza finches at Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ben Dilley
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Tristan Da Cunha ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
Tussock Grass ◽  
Double Brooding ◽  
Breeding Attempt ◽  
The Difference

Nesospiza finches are a classic example of a simple adaptive radiation, with two ecologically distinct forms confined to the Tristan da Cunha Archipelago, South Atlantic Ocean: an abundant, small-billed dietary generalist, and a scarce, large-billed specialist. These have segregated into two species at Nightingale Island, but there is still local introgression between the two forms at Inaccessible Island. We describe the phenology and breeding behaviour of the two sympatric species at Nightingale Island (2.6 km2): Wilkins’s Finch Nesospiza wilkinsi (Endangered) and Nightingale Island Finch N. questi (Vulnerable). The finch breeding season starts in late October-November but the onset of breeding varies by 4–5 weeks among years. The small-billed Nightingale Island Finch typically (two of three study seasons) starts breeding 1–3 weeks earlier than the large-billed Wilkins’s Finch, unlike at Inaccessible Island where the Wilkins’s Finches start breeding first. Laying of initial clutches was quite well synchronised, peaking 1–2 weeks after the first nests were found. Females constructed the nests, which were mostly (>90%) in dense Spartina arundinacea tussock grass stands and occasionally in ferns or sedge grasses. Clutches comprised one or two eggs, with no difference between Wilkins’s (1.66 ± 0.48) or Nightingale Island finch clutches (1.71 ± 0.46). Incubation periods averaged longer for Wilkins’s Finch (18.3 ± 0.5 d) than Nightingale Island Finch (17.7 ± 0.5 d), but this difference was not statistically significant. Females incubated the eggs, and were fed by the males. The difference in egg volume within two-egg clutches was 2–13% for Wilkins’s Finches (mean 5.9 ± 3.3%) and 1–19% for Nightingale Island Finches (mean 8.4 ± 5.3%). At least 31% of pairs re -laid after their first breeding attempt failed but there was no evidence of double brooding. Repeat nests were 0–20 m (mean 5.6 ± 4.9 m) from the initial nest site and inter-seasonal nest sites for 38 known pairs were 0–33 m apart (mean 12 ± 9 m). No inter-species pairs or hybrid birds were seen, but two instances of inter-species fledgling provisioning were observed.

Effects of Conspecifics and Vegetation On Nest Site Selection in Gasterosteus Aculeatus L

Behaviour ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 42 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 97-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald A. Jenni
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Glass Plate ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
End Effect ◽  
Middle Portion ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
The Difference

AbstractVegetation and conspecific rivals both exert significant influences on the locations of territories as determined by the nest sites selected by naive male three-spined sticklebacks. The effect of a row of vegetation along one end of a tank depends on the size of the tank. In small tanks (up to I20 cm), a row of vegetation at one end repels males. In the 300 cm tank, a row of vegetation at one end did not appear to influence the overall distribution of nests, but those nesting in the end with the vegetation tended to nest in the vegetation. A row of vegetation at one end of the 600 cm ditch attracted some males who nested in the row. The remaining nests were located in the middle portion of the ditch,, and the end effect in the unplanted ditch disappeared. Thus the effect of a row of vegetation depends on the amount of open space available in front of it. In the 600 cm ditch, a row of vegetation standing away from the end attracted 65 per cent of the males who selected nest sites within and adjacent to the rows compared to 40 per cent when the row was at the end. The difference is not quite significant. With a rival behind a glass plate 30 cm from one end of the otherwise bare 600 cm tank, rival males selected nest sites at the opposite end of the tank. The repelling effect of a rival was effective over a relatively large distance in this bare environment. The repelling effect of the rival was exaggerated in some experiments in which a second glass plate was placed 30 cm from the opposite end. Separate experiments proved that a glass plate attracted males who tended to nest near it. The repelling effects of a rival was greatly reduced when a row of vegetation was placed at some distance from his territory boundary (glass plate).

Nest-Site Fidelity in Griffon Vultures: A Case of Win–Stay/Lose–Shift?

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myriam Freund ◽  
Ofer Bahat ◽  
Uzi Motro
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Gyps Fulvus ◽  
Nest Site Fidelity ◽  
Breeding Attempt ◽  
Shift Strategy

We studied the use of nest-sites by Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) and the breeding success in these sites during 1998–2002 in Gamla Nature Reserve (Israel). Nest-sites in which a breeding attempt succeeded in fledging a young, were more likely to be occupied by nesting vultures in the following breeding season, than nest-sites that experienced a failure. This suggests that Griffon Vultures in Gamla used a Win–Stay/Lose–Shift strategy regarding nest-site fidelity.

Raiding shoal size and a distraction display in male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus)

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark S. Ridgway ◽  
J. D. McPhail
Keyword(s):  
Nest Predation ◽  
Species Complex ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Threespine Stickleback ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Threespine Sticklebacks

In threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), shoals of foraging conspecifics attack the nests of parental males and consume the offspring. This type of nest predation also occurs in lakes with sympatric species pairs of sticklebacks (Gasterosteus sp.) in which benthic stickleback shoals attack the nests of parental limnetic males. We manipulated shoal size of benthic sticklebacks in Paxton and Enos lakes to determine if there is a minimum shoal size necessary before parental limnetic males will perform the spasmodic swim display, a behaviour used by parental males to lure foraging shoals away from their nest and offspring. Males showed a significant increase in display frequency beginning with shoals of eight fish. The display occurred only when there were offspring in the nest and not when the nest was empty. We interpret the display to be a foraging deception in which parental males manipulate raiding shoals into giving up their search for a food source, causing them to leave the area of the male's nest site. This distraction display appears to be widespread within the threespine stickleback species complex.

Coexistence of three species of hawks (Buteo spp.) in the prairie–parkland ecotone

1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 1075-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Schmutz ◽  
S. M. Schmutz ◽  
D. A. Boag
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Ecological Segregation ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Competition For Space ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Average Size

We investigated the extent of ecological segregation in the use of the food, space, and habitat resources of three sympatric species of the genus Buteo (red-tailed, ferruginous, and Swainson's hawks) coexisting in the prairie–parkland ecotone of southeastern Alberta. We concluded that food was not a resource for which the hawks were competing because the overlap in diets exceeded 80%, and because ferruginous hawks successfully fledged supernumerary broods and Swainson's hawks, broods of at least average size. Furthermore, there was no evidence that each species hunted prey at different times of the day or concentrated on different-sized prey. Each of the three species exhibited a dispersed distribution of nest sites which suggests competition for space; this pattern was not as evident when the distribution of nests among species was considered. Nevertheless, when pairs of different species nested in close proximity their reproductive success declined significantly, suggesting interspecific competion for space. The three species exhibited differences in nest site characteristics, suggesting that, although sympatric, they tended to segregate on the basis of habitat. Ferruginous hawks appear to inhabit arid and open landscapes, red-tailed hawks woodland habitat, and Swainson's hawks the interface.

scholarly journals Nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal by Common Tailorbirds in a tropical forest

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changzhang Feng ◽  
Canchao Yang ◽  
Wei Liang
Keyword(s):  
Nest Predation ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
Breeding Dispersal ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Nest Site Fidelity ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Breeding Attempt ◽  
Dispersal Distances

Abstract Background Information pertaining to nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal over successive years can help to better our understanding of how birds respond to nest predation. Methods By using mist nets and tracking the color banded individuals, we investigated nest-site fidelity and breeding dispersal by Common Tailorbirds (Orthotomus sutorius) throughout a year and between successive years in 2017–2018. Results The present study showed that Common Tailorbirds could produce up to four clutches per breeding season. When multiple broods were produced within a year, breeding pairs remained together, and the nest rebuilding rate was up to 92.2%, with only four cases (7.8%) in which birds reused their old nests. The dispersal distance between the nests during multiple breeding was found to be 10.0 ± 10.5 m, and nest-site fidelity within the same year was 90.0%. By the second year of breeding, 76.2% of individuals remained in the original breeding pairs, while for those that did switch partners, the females remained in the nest from the previous year and paired with new males. The dispersal distance between years was 26.5 ± 41.9 m, and nest-site fidelity between different years was 80.1%. There was no significant difference between within-year and between-year dispersal distances. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the dispersal distance of rebuilt nests between birds that had experienced nest predation and those that had not. Conclusions Our findings suggest that Common Tailorbirds maintain a high degree of fidelity to mates and nest-sites, and nest predation had no significant effect on territorial changes or breeding dispersal distance between each breeding attempt.

Effects of Pre-Experimental Conditions On Nest Site Selection and Aggression in Gasterosteus Aculeatus L

Behaviour ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 35 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 61-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald A. Jenni ◽  
J.J.A. Van Iersel ◽  
J. Van Den Assem
Keyword(s):  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Year ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Physical Isolation ◽  
Building Behavior ◽  
The Difference

AbstractMale three-spined sticklebacks were held individually in compartments under one of four conditions: Total Isolation (Ti) ; Physical Isolation (Pi), compartments from which the males could see the room; Physical Isolation with Aggression Tests (PiA), similar to Pi but with the addition of aggression tests each day; and Physical Isolation with a Goldfish Companion (PiG), similar to Pi but with a white color-phase goldfish in the same compartment. Ti and PiA individuals became shy and tended to hide motionless in the corners of their compartments; when disturbed, they sometimes dashed madly about the compartment before becoming motionless. Pi and PiG fish became tame or non-shy. When tested individually in a 300 cm tank planted with a dense row of vegetation along one end, the shy males (Ti and PiA) selected nest sites nearer the ends of the tank than the non-shy males (Pi and PiG) did. The distribution of nests built by Ti individuals differed significantly from those of the other groups. Latency of response to a test male showed great variation; the difference between PiG with the shortest delays, and PiA with the longest delays, are significant. PiG and Pi males showed significantly more aggression toward the test male than did Ti and PiA males. The small differences in the amount of aggression between PiG and Pi and between Ti and PiA are not significant. Latency of response is negatively correlated with number of bites in the first minute and (less well) with total number of bites. The negative correlation between latency and total aggression is much better if we exclude those with short latencies. There is no correlation between nest site and latency of response to the test male. The location of the nest (distance from nearest end) and amount of biting directed at the test male are positively correlated. It is quite clear that the conditions under which these wild caught, first-year males were held in the laboratory immediately prior to the experiments affected the numbers nesting, their choice of nest sites, their latency in responding to intruding male, and the amount of biting they directed against them. The differences in treatment did not affect the percent of individuals that built nests and responded to the test male. Four Ti individuals showed large amounts of nest building behavior during the aggression tests, but none of the other groups showed this. In spite of gross differences in the treatments the four groups received, the two groups which became shy responded very similarly to one another and the two groups which became non-shy also responded similarly to one another.

scholarly journals Data mining of coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Eun Huh ◽  
Seunghee Han ◽  
Taeseon Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Decision Tree ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
Initial Question ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Blast Program

Abstract Objective In this study we compare the amino acid and codon sequence of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV using different statistics programs to understand their characteristics. Specifically, we are interested in how differences in the amino acid and codon sequence can lead to different incubation periods and outbreak periods. Our initial question was to compare SARS-CoV-2 to different viruses in the coronavirus family using BLAST program of NCBI and machine learning algorithms. Results The result of experiments using BLAST, Apriori and Decision Tree has shown that SARS-CoV-2 had high similarity with SARS-CoV while having comparably low similarity with MERS-CoV. We decided to compare the codons of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV to see the difference. Though the viruses are very alike according to BLAST and Apriori experiments, SVM proved that they can be effectively classified using non-linear kernels. Decision Tree experiment proved several remarkable properties of SARS-CoV-2 amino acid sequence that cannot be found in MERS-CoV amino acid sequence. The consequential purpose of this paper is to minimize the damage on humanity from SARS-CoV-2. Hence, further studies can be focused on the comparison of SARS-CoV-2 virus with other viruses that also can be transmitted during latent periods.

The importance of grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea preissii) as habitat for mardo (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster) during post-fire recovery

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marnie L. Swinburn ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming ◽  
Michael D. Craig ◽  
Andrew H. Grigg ◽  
Mark J. Garkaklis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Management ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Important Resource ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Single Feature ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
Nesting Resources ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The One

Grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea) are an important structural component of many Australian ecosystems and also an important resource for many fauna species. Grasstrees have distinctive morphologies, with a crown of long thin leaves and skirts, the latter of which are accumulated dead leaves; both are incinerated by fire. This study determined the morphological features of Xanthorrhoea preissii, which change in response to fire from 6 months to 21 years post-burn. In addition, using radio-telemetry and spool-tracking, we determined that grasstrees are utilised as foraging and nesting resources for mardos (Antechinus flavipes leucogaster (Gray, 1841), Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). Recently burnt grasstrees (6 months post-burn) appeared not to be used by mardos at all. We found few mardos in these recently burnt sites, and the one individual we managed to track for 126 m utilised only a single grasstree: a 2-m-tall multiple-crowned grasstree that had escaped the fire was used as a nest site. For sites 5 years post-burn, mardos selectively utilised grasstrees with larger crown areas and those with a greater number of crowns compared with a random sample of available trees. At the 14-year post-burn sites, mardos still demonstrated some selection for grasstrees, although no specific single feature could be determined as most significant. We recorded humidity and temperature buffering effects in association with post-burn accumulation of grasstree skirt material and found that even dead grasstree ‘logs’ were an important resource for nests. We conclude that mardos utilise both live and dead grasstrees for foraging and nest sites, possibly owing to the availability of dense cover, a buffered microclimate, and potentially also food resources. Fire-management policies that promote habitat heterogeneity and retain several intact-skirted grasstrees within the landscape are likely to benefit mardos.

A Comparison of Diel Nest Temperature and Nest Site Selection for Two Sympatric Species of Freshwater Turtles

1996 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 181 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Russell Bodie ◽  
Kelley R. Smith ◽  
Vincent J. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Nest Temperature ◽  
Freshwater Turtles ◽  
Selection For

scholarly journals Sympatry drives colour and song evolution in wood-warblers (Parulidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1942) ◽  
pp. 20202804
Author(s):  
Richard K. Simpson ◽  
David R. Wilson ◽  
Allison F. Mistakidis ◽  
Daniel J. Mennill ◽  
Stéphanie M. Doucet
Keyword(s):  
Related Species ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Signal Evolution ◽  
Wood Warblers ◽  
Mixed Support ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Song Divergence ◽  
Signal Diversity ◽  
Signal Divergence

Closely related species often exhibit similarities in appearance and behaviour, yet when related species exist in sympatry, signals may diverge to enhance species recognition. Prior comparative studies provided mixed support for this hypothesis, but the relationship between sympatry and signal divergence is likely nonlinear. Constraints on signal diversity may limit signal divergence, especially when large numbers of species are sympatric. We tested the effect of sympatric overlap on plumage colour and song divergence in wood-warblers (Parulidae), a speciose group with diverse visual and vocal signals. We also tested how number of sympatric species influences signal divergence. Allopatric species pairs had overall greater plumage and song divergence compared to sympatric species pairs. However, among sympatric species pairs, plumage divergence positively related to the degree of sympatric overlap in males and females, while male song bandwidth and syllable rate divergence negatively related to sympatric overlap. In addition, as the number of species in sympatry increased, average signal divergence among sympatric species decreased, which is likely due to constraints on warbler perceptual space and signal diversity. Our findings reveal that sympatry influences signal evolution in warblers, though not always as predicted, and that number of sympatric species can limit sympatry's influence on signal evolution.

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