scholarly journals Double Broods of Tree Swallows in One Nest Box

Blue Jay ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Stiles ◽  
C. Neill
Keyword(s):  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Box

scholarly journals Nonideal nest box selection by tree swallows breeding in farmlands: Evidence for an ecological trap?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ève Courtois ◽  
Dany Garant ◽  
Fanie Pelletier ◽  
Marc Bélisle
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Trap ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Box

Effects of urbanization and nest box design on reproduction vary by species in three cavity-nesting passerines in the Okanagan Valley

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Dale ◽  
Matthew W Reudink ◽  
Laurene M Ratcliffe ◽  
Ann E McKellar
Keyword(s):  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Artificial Nest ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Western Bluebirds ◽  
Mountain Bluebirds ◽  
Artificial Nest Boxes ◽  
Okanagan Valley

Artificial nest boxes provide an important resource for secondary cavity-nesting passerines, whose populations may be limited by the availability of nesting sites. However, previous studies have demonstrated that the design and placement of boxes may affect the reproductive success of the birds that use them. In this study, we asked whether the habitat surrounding a nest box or the type of box influenced reproduction in three cavity-nesting passerines. We studied western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana Swainson, 1832), mountain bluebirds (S. currucoides Bechstein, 1798), and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor Vieillot, 1808) breeding in artificial nest boxes at sites across 70 km of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Sites varied in their degree of urbanization, from relatively undisturbed ranchland, to cultivated vineyards, to frequently disturbed ‘suburban’ habitat, and boxes varied in type of entrance (slot or hole). Western bluebirds nested earlier in vineyards, and tree swallows produced significantly fewer fledglings in suburban habitat. In addition, tree swallows nested earlier and produced more fledglings in slot boxes. Our results suggest that conservation actions for cavity-nesting passerines may depend on the target species, which in turn should dictate the appropriate box type and habitat when erecting or replacing nest boxes.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Patterns in Nest Box Occupancy by Tree Swallows Across North America

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Shutler ◽  
David J. T. Hussell ◽  
D. R. Norris ◽  
David W. Winkler ◽  
Raleigh J. Robertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Box

Effects of nest-box density on the behavior of Tree Swallows during nest building

2006 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean K. Male ◽  
Jason Jones ◽  
Raleigh J. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Nest Building ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Box

scholarly journals Nonideal nest box selection by tree swallows breeding in farmlands: evidence for an ecological trap?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ève Courtois ◽  
Dany Garant ◽  
Fanie Pelletier ◽  
Marc Bélisle
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Ecological Trap ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes

Animals are expected to select a breeding habitat using cues that should reflect, directly or not, the fitness outcome of the different habitat options. However, human-induced environmental changes can alter the relationship between habitat characteristics and their fitness consequences, leading to a maladaptive habitat choice. The most severe case of such nonideal habitat selection is the ecological trap, which occurs when individuals prefer to settle in poor-quality habitats while better ones are available. Here we studied the adaptiveness of nest box selection in a tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) population breeding over a 10-year period in a network of 400 nest boxes distributed along a gradient of agricultural intensification in southern Québec, Canada. We first examined the effects of multiple environmental and social habitat characteristics on nest box preference to identify potential settlement cues. We then assessed the links between those cues and habitat quality as defined by the reproductive performance of individuals that settled early or late in nest boxes. We found that tree swallows preferred nesting in open habitats with high cover of perennial forage crops, high spring insect biomass, and high density of house sparrows, their main competitors for nest sites. They also preferred nesting where the density of breeders and their mean number of fledglings during the previous year were high. Additionally, we detected mismatches between preference and habitat quality for several environmental variables. The density of competitors and conspecific social information showed severe mismatches, as their relationships to preference and breeding success went in opposite direction under certain circumstances. Spring food availability and agricultural landscape context, while related to preferences, were not related to breeding success. Overall, our study emphasizes the complexity of habitat selection behavior and provides evidence that multiple mechanisms may potentially lead to an ecological trap in farmlands.

Nest box orientation affects internal temperature and nest site selection by Tree Swallows

2006 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Ardia ◽  
Jonathan H. Pérez ◽  
Ethan D. Clotfelter
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Internal Temperature ◽  
Nest Box

A comparison of the breeding ecology of a secondary cavity nesting bird, the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), in nest boxes and natural cavities

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1046-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raleigh J. Robertson ◽  
Wallace B. Rendell
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Second Year

Several studies concerned with mate choice, reproductive performance, and life history strategies have been conducted with secondary cavity nesting birds breeding in nest boxes. Although the need for comparative studies has been recognized, populations breeding in nest boxes often have not been compared with those breeding in natural cavities. We compared the ecology of Tree Swallows breeding in nest boxes and natural cavities to determine if nest box populations of Tree Swallows are accurate models of natural populations. Two nest site characteristics, nest site dispersion and cavity height, were similar for birds in both nesting environments. Greater cavity entrance area at natural cavities resulted in increased interspecific competition in natural populations, involving larger competitors, more species, and a greater abundance of each species. Clutch size was smaller in natural cavities compared with nest boxes, likely because floor area was smaller in natural cavities. Fledging success did not differ between populations. Disproportionately more after-second-year females bred in nest boxes, and more second-year females bred in natural cavities, as estimated by a model of Tree Swallow survivorship. Tree Swallows settle at nest boxes before natural cavities in our study area, perhaps as a result of the greater potential for reproductive success and reduced interspecific competition in the nest boxes as opposed to natural cavities. For some aspects of the ecology of secondary cavity nesters, nest boxes do not provide an accurate representation of natural populations. Therefore, evolutionary interpretations of nest box studies should be compared with observations of birds in natural environments.

scholarly journals Environmental determinants of haemosporidian parasite prevalence in a declining population of Tree swallows

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (7) ◽  
pp. 961-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Turcotte ◽  
Marc Bélisle ◽  
Fanie Pelletier ◽  
Dany Garant
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Parasite Prevalence ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasite ◽  
Haemosporidian Parasites

AbstractThe prevalence of vector-borne parasites such as haemosporidian species is influenced by several environmental factors. While the negative effects of parasitism on hosts are well documented, these can also be amplified by interactions with environmental stressors, many of which are anthropogenic. Yet, we know little about the possible effects of anthropogenic perturbations on parasite prevalence. The goals of this study were to assess the prevalence and environmental determinants of haemosporidian parasites in a declining population of Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) living in an agricultural landscape in southern Québec, Canada. Overall, a low prevalence and a moderate lineage diversity were identified in both adults and nestlings, confirming that transmission can occur during the breeding period. Anthropic areas, extensive cultures (hayfields and pastures) and forest cover within 500 km of nest boxes, as well as daily temperature fluctuations, were all related to infection by haemosporidian parasites. These findings suggest that anthropogenic alterations of landscape composition can modulate the prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in Tree swallows. Our results represent a baseline for future comparative studies assessing haemosporidian parasite prevalence in human-modified landscapes.

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