Does researcher activity impact nest survival of sharp-tailed grouse?

Abstract The population of the recently-described Whenua Hou diving petrel Pelecanoides whenuahouensis comprises c. 200 adults that all breed in a single 0.018 km2 colony in a dune system vulnerable to erosion. The species would therefore benefit from the establishment of a second breeding population through a translocation. However, given the small size of the source population, it is essential that translocations are informed by carefully targeted monitoring data. We therefore modelled nest survival at the remaining population in relation to potential drivers (distance to sea and burrow density of conspecifics and a competitor) across three breeding seasons with varying climatic conditions as a result of the southern oscillation cycle. We also documented breeding phenology and burrow attendance, and measured chicks, to generate growth curves. We estimated egg survival at 0.686, chick survival at 0.890, overall nest survival at 0.612, and found no indication that nest survival was affected by distance to sea or burrow density. Whenua Hou diving petrels laid eggs in mid October, eggs hatched in late November, and chicks fledged in mid January at c. 86% of adult weight. Burrow attendance (i.e. feeds) decreased from 0.94 to 0.65 visits per night as chicks approached fledging. Nest survival and breeding biology were largely consistent among years despite variation in climate. Nest survival estimates will facilitate predictions about future population trends and suitability of prospective translocation sites. Knowledge of breeding phenology will inform the timing of collection of live chicks for translocation, and patterns of burrow attendance combined with growth curves will structure hand-rearing protocols. A tuhinga whakarāpopoto (te reo Māori abstract) can be found in the Supplementary material.

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Nest cameras do not affect nest survival in a meadow-nesting shorebird

Bird Conservation International ◽

10.1017/s0959270920000659 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

VOLKER SALEWSKI ◽

LUIS SCHMIDT

Keyword(s):

Nest Survival ◽

Bird Species ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Survival Models ◽

Northern Germany ◽

Term Study ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Limosa Limosa ◽

Study Sites

Summary Identifying the fate of birds’ nests and the causes of breeding failure is often crucial for the development of conservation strategies for threatened species. However, collecting these data by repeatedly visiting nests might itself contribute to nest failure or bias. To solve this dilemma, automatic cameras have increasingly been used as a time-efficient means for nest monitoring. Here, we consider whether the use of cameras itself may influence hatching success of nests of the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa at two long-term study sites in northern Germany. Annually between 2013 and 2019, cameras were used to monitor godwit nests. In 2014 and 2019, nests were randomly equipped with cameras or not, and nest survival checked independently of the cameras. Nest-survival models indicated that survival probabilities varied between years, sites and with time of the season, but were unaffected by the presence of cameras. Even though predation is the main cause of hatching failure in our study system, we conclude that predators did not learn to associate cameras with food either when the cameras were initially installed or after they had been used for several years. Cameras were thus an effective and non-deleterious tool to collect data for conservation in this case. As other bird species may react differently to cameras at their nests, and as other sets of predators may differ in their ability to associate cameras with food, the effect of cameras on breeding success should be carefully monitored when they are used in a new study system.

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TIME-SPECIFIC VARIATION IN PASSERINE NEST SURVIVAL: NEW INSIGHTS INTO OLD QUESTIONS

The Auk ◽

10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0661:tvipns]2.0.co;2 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 122 (2) ◽

pp. 661 ◽

Cited By ~ 127

Author(s):

Todd A. Grant ◽

Terry L. Shaffer ◽

Elizabeth M. Madden ◽

Pamela J. Pietz

Keyword(s):

Nest Survival ◽

Specific Variation ◽

Time Specific

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Low reproductive success of the endangered Iberá Seedeater in its only known breeding site, the Iberá Wetlands, Argentina

The Condor ◽

10.1093/ornithapp/duab008 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Melanie Browne ◽

Sheela P Turbek ◽

Constanza Pasian ◽

Adrián S Di Giacomo

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Nest Survival ◽

Breeding Site ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Breeding Biology ◽

Cumulative Probability ◽

Conservation Area ◽

Northeastern Argentina

Abstract Subtropical grasslands are highly susceptible to habitat conversion and number among South America’s most threatened ecosystems. The grasslands of northeastern Argentina have been identified as a priority conservation area for threatened capuchino seedeaters because they constitute the main breeding area of these migratory birds. The Iberá Seedeater (Sporophila iberaensis) is a newly described species in the Iberá Wetlands in Argentina whose biology is still poorly understood. The endangered species inhabits grasslands but has only been reported to breed in the Iberá Wetlands ecoregion of northeastern Argentina. To explore the species’ association with grassland vegetation, we studied the breeding biology (clutch size, hatching success, and fledgling production) of the Iberá Seedeater and the main parameters that influence nest survival and nest-site selection. We conducted nest searches and banded adults and nestlings in Iberá National Park during the breeding seasons of 2016–2018. The breeding season of the Iberá Seedeater was highly synchronous and the cumulative probability of nest survival was 0.16. The daily nest survival rate decreased as the breeding season advanced, survival was lower for nests supported by Rhynchospora corymbosa than Paspalum durifolium, the two main nest substrates, and the main causes of nest failure were nest predation and strong winds. Additionally, the population exhibited male-biased site fidelity and a low female return rate. In contrast to other capuchinos, whose breeding biology is associated with upland grasslands, the Iberá Seedeater nested exclusively in flooded lowland grasslands on marsh plants. Thus, effective lowland grassland management is key to maintain the vegetation structure required for reproduction in the Iberá Seedeater.

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Snake behavior and seasonal variation in nest survival of northern cardinals Cardinalis cardinalis

Journal of Avian Biology ◽

10.1111/j.1600-048x.2012.05632.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 496-502 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Jinelle H. Sperry ◽

Douglas G. Barron ◽

Patrick J. Weatherhead

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variation ◽

Nest Survival ◽

Cardinalis Cardinalis ◽

Northern Cardinals

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Variables associated with nest survival of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) among vegetation communities commonly used for nesting

Avian Conservation and Ecology ◽

10.5751/ace-00748-100106 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Kyle R. Aldinger ◽

Theron M. Terhune II ◽

Petra B. Wood ◽

David A. Buehler ◽

Marja H. Bakermans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nest Survival ◽

Vegetation Communities ◽

Vermivora Chrysoptera

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Greater Sage-Grouse nest bowls buffer microclimate in a post-megafire landscape although effects on nest survival are marginal

The Condor ◽

10.1093/ornithapp/duaa068 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 123 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christopher R Anthony ◽

Christian A Hagen ◽

Katie M Dugger ◽

R Dwayne Elmore

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Nest Site ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Nest Success ◽

Nest Survival ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Bare Ground ◽

Sage Grouse ◽

Burned Areas ◽

Visual Obstruction

Abstract Temperature at fine spatial scales is an important driver of nest site selection for many avian species during the breeding season and can influence nest success. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities have areas with high levels of vegetation heterogeneity and high thermal variation; however, fire removes vegetation that provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. To examine the influence of microclimates on Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest site selection and nest success in a fire-affected landscape, we measured black bulb temperature (Tbb) and vegetation attributes (e.g., visual obstruction) at 3 spatial scales (i.e. nest bowl, microsite, and landscape) in unburned and burned areas. Nest bowls exhibited greater buffering of Tbb than both nearby microsites and the broader landscape. Notably, nest bowls were warmer in cold temperatures, and cooler in hot temperatures, than nearby microsites and the broader landscape, regardless of burn stage. Nest survival (NS) was higher for nests in unburned areas compared to nests in burned areas (unburned NS = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33–0.54; burned NS = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10–0.46). The amount of bare ground was negatively associated with NS, but effects diminished as the amount of bare ground reached low levels. Shrub height and visual obstruction were positively associated with NS during the entire study period, whereas minimum Tbb had a weaker effect. Our findings demonstrate that thermoregulatory selection by Greater Sage-Grouse at nest sites had marginal effects on their NS. However, given that increases in vegetation structure (e.g., shrub height) provide thermal refuge and increase NS, vegetation remnants or regeneration in a post-fire landscape could be critical to Greater Sage-Grouse nesting ecology.

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Variability in Nest Survival Rates and Implications to Nesting Studies

The Auk ◽

10.2307/4086023 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 99 (1) ◽

pp. 77-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 99

Author(s):

A. T. Klett ◽

Douglas H. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Nest Survival ◽

Survival Rates

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