scholarly journals Asymmetric Antipredator Behaviour in a Mixed-Species Colony of Two Non-Mobbing Bird Species

Ardea ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rina Honda ◽  
Nobuyuki Azuma
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Mixed Species

Community structure of arthropod ectoparasites on Alaskan seabirds

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 2998-3005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae C. Choe ◽  
Ke Chung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Uria Lomvia ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Feather Mites ◽  
Chewing Lice ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Common Murres ◽  
Ixodes Ticks

A total of 28 species of arthropods was recovered from 29 common murres (Uria aalge), 8 thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia), 22 black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), and 10 red-legged kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris) collected from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, U.S.A. The ectoparasite community on each bird species almost invariably consisted of three species of chewing lice, two species of ticks, and five to nine species of mites. Astigmatid feather mites (Alloptes spp., Laronyssus martini (Trouessart)) were the most numerous group of ectoparasites except on black-legged kittiwakes on which Ixodes ticks were the most abundant. The second most abundant taxa were ticks on common murres and thick-billed murres, and quill mites (Syringophilidae) on red-legged kittiwakes. Kittiwakes usually supported more diverse communities of ectoparasites than did murres, probably because of differences in nesting and foraging behavior. Ectoparasite communities between the congeneric species of birds were particularly similar in terms of species composition and general structure, and supported our hypothesis that phylogenetic relatedness of hosts is reflected in similarity of their ectoparasite communities. Community structure of ectoparasites was much more similar between the two murre species than between the two kittiwake species, probably because of gregarious flocking and mixed-species nesting of murres.

scholarly journals Is it safe to nest near conspicuous neighbours? Spatial patterns in predation risk associated with the density of American Golden-Plover nests

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Andrée Giroux ◽  
Myriam Trottier-Paquet ◽  
Joël Bêty ◽  
Vincent Lamarre ◽  
Nicolas Lecomte
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Conservation Concern

Predation is one of the main factors explaining nesting mortality in most bird species. Birds can avoid nest predation or reduce predation pressure by breeding at higher latitude, showing anti-predator behaviour, selecting nest sites protected from predators, and nesting in association with protective species. American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) defend their territory by using various warning and distraction behaviours displayed at varying levels of intensity (hereafter “conspicuous behaviour”), as well as more aggressive behaviours such as aerial attacks, but only in some populations. Such antipredator behaviour has the potential to repel predators and thus benefit the neighbouring nests by decreasing their predation risk. Yet, conspicuous behaviour could also attract predators by signalling the presence of a nest. To test for the existence of a protective effect associated with the conspicuous antipredator behaviour of American Golden-Plovers, we studied the influence of proximity to plover nests on predation risk of artificial nests on Igloolik Island (Nunavut, Canada) in July 2014. We predicted that the predation risk of artificial nests would decrease with proximity to and density of plover nests. We monitored 18 plover nests and set 35 artificial nests at 30, 50, 100, 200, and 500 m from seven of those plover nests. We found that the predation risk of artificial nests increases with the density of active plover nests. We also found a significant negative effect of the distance to the nearest active protector nest on predation risk of artificial nests. Understanding how the composition and structure of shorebird communities generate spatial patterns in predation risks represents a key step to better understand the importance of these species of conservation concern in tundra food webs.

scholarly journals Does mixed-species flocking influence how birds respond to a gradient of land-use intensity?

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1811) ◽  
pp. 20151118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Mammides ◽  
Jin Chen ◽  
Uromi Manage Goodale ◽  
Sarath Wimalabandara Kotagama ◽  
Swati Sidhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Cascading Effect ◽  
Western Ghats Of India

Conservation biology is increasingly concerned with preserving interactions among species such as mutualisms in landscapes facing anthropogenic change. We investigated how one kind of mutualism, mixed-species bird flocks, influences the way in which birds respond to different habitat types of varying land-use intensity. We use data from a well-replicated, large-scale study in Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats of India, in which flocks were observed inside forest reserves, in ‘buffer zones' of degraded forest or timber plantations, and in areas of intensive agriculture. We find flocks affected the responses of birds in three ways: (i) species with high propensity to flock were more sensitive to land use; (ii) different flock types, dominated by different flock leaders, varied in their sensitivity to land use and because following species have distinct preferences for leaders, this can have a cascading effect on followers' habitat selection; and (iii) those forest-interior species that remain outside of forests were found more inside flocks than would be expected by chance, as they may use flocks more in suboptimal habitat. We conclude that designing policies to protect flocks and their leading species may be an effective way to conserve multiple bird species in mixed forest and agricultural landscapes.

Are disturbance separation distances derived from single species applicable to mixed-species shorebird flocks?

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant D. Linley ◽  
Patrick-Jean Guay ◽  
Michael A. Weston
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Constituent Species ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Mixed Species Flocks ◽  
System Separation ◽  
Species Flocks

Abstract ContextHuman disturbance threatens many bird species worldwide. Flight-initiation distances (FIDs) offer a scientific basis for separation distances between fauna and agents of disturbance, such as people. However, most available FIDs are from single-species groups. Multi-species flocks have received scant attention with regard to their FIDs; yet, they are extremely common in nature. AimTo examine suitable separation distances for mixed-species shorebird flocks by comparing single-species FIDs with those of the same species in mixed-species flocks. MethodWe examined FIDs in mixed- and single-species flocks of four shorebirds (double-banded plover, Charadrius bicinctus, red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus, red-necked stint, Calidris ruficollis, and curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea). FIDs were collected in comparable habitat and sites with similar (i.e. highly restricted) regimes of human occurrence. ResultsFIDs of single-species flocks of these species differed in their FID to an approaching walker. Different species permutations in mixed-species flocks resulted in different FIDs. FIDs of mixed-species flocks were lower than or the same as the FIDs of single-species groups of constituent species. Conclusions and implicationsIn our study system, separation distances (e.g. buffers; zones that exclude humans to reduce shorebird disturbance) based on FIDs of single species also would be efficacious for mixed-species flocks containing those species.

scholarly journals Effects of climate variation on bird escape distances modulate community responses to global change

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Díaz ◽  
T. Grim ◽  
G. Markó ◽  
F. Morelli ◽  
J. D. Ibáñez-Alamo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Increasing Temperature ◽  
Flight Initiation

AbstractClimate and land use are rapidly changing environmental conditions. Behavioral responses to such global perturbations can be used to incorporate interspecific interactions into predictive models of population responses to global change. Flight initiation distance (FID) reflects antipredator behaviour defined as the distance at which an individual takes flight when approached by a human, under standardized conditions. This behavioural trait results from a balance between disturbance, predation risk, food availability and physiological needs, and it is related to geographical range and population trends in European birds. Using 32,145 records of flight initiation distances for 229 bird species during 2006–2019 in 24 European localities, we show that FIDs decreased with increasing temperature and precipitation, as expected if foraging success decreased under warm and humid conditions. Trends were further altered by latitude, urbanisation and body mass, as expected if climate effects on FIDs were mediated by food abundance and need, differing according to position in food webs, supporting foraging models. This provides evidence for a role of behavioural responses within food webs on how bird populations and communities are affected by global change.

scholarly journals Low intensity, mixed livestock grazing improves the breeding abundance of a common insectivorous passerine

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren M Evans ◽  
Stephen M Redpath ◽  
Sharon A Evans ◽  
David A Elston ◽  
Charles J Gardner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Anthus Pratensis ◽  
Meadow Pipit

Abstract Livestock grazing is a major driver of ecosystem change and has been associated with significant declines in various bird species in Britain and worldwide. However, there is little experimental evidence to show how grazing affects bird populations. We manipulated livestock densities in a replicated field experiment and found that mixed sheep and cattle grazing, at low intensity, improved the breeding abundance of a common upland passerine, the meadow pipit Anthus pratensis , after two years. Plots stocked with sheep alone (at high or low density) or not stocked at all held fewer pipit territories. Despite a year-on-year decline in pairs of meadow pipits in intensively grazed plots, we found no effect of sheep number on breeding abundance. Our results support the hypothesis that mixed species of herbivores generate greater heterogeneity in vegetation structure, which modifies prey availability, resulting in a greater abundance of birds. The results of our study should inform the management of grassland areas and enhance the abundance of some bird species, particularly in areas that have seen significant shifts from mixed livestock grazing to grazing dominated by single species of animals.

scholarly journals Social learning of acoustic anti-predator cues occurs between wild bird species

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1920) ◽  
pp. 20192513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara C. Keen ◽  
Ella F. Cole ◽  
Michael J. Sheehan ◽  
Ben C. Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Acoustic Cues ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Blue Tits

In many species, individuals gather information about their environment both through direct experience and through information obtained from others. Social learning, or the acquisition of information from others, can occur both within and between species and may facilitate the rapid spread of antipredator behaviour. Within birds, acoustic signals are frequently used to alert others to the presence of predators, and individuals can quickly learn to associate novel acoustic cues with predation risk. However, few studies have addressed whether such learning occurs only though direct experience or whether it has a social component, nor whether such learning can occur between species. We investigate these questions in two sympatric species of Parids: blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ) and great tits ( Parus major ). Using playbacks of unfamiliar bird vocalizations paired with a predator model in a controlled aviary setting, we find that blue tits can learn to associate a novel sound with predation risk via direct experience, and that antipredator response to the sound can be socially transmitted to heterospecific observers, despite lack of first-hand experience. Our results suggest that social learning of acoustic cues can occur between species. Such interspecific social information transmission may help to mediate the formation of mixed-species aggregations.

scholarly journals Winter Flocking of Insectivorous Birds in Montane Pine-Oak Forests in Middle America

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 664-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I. King ◽  
John H. Rappole
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Middle America ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Mixed Species Flocks ◽  
Positive Correlations

Abstract We studied mixed-species insectivorous bird flocks in pine-oak forests in Middle America during three winter seasons to determine whether patterns of flock structure and dynamics were similar to those reported from other tropical sites. We also analyzed patterns of association among bird species, as well as their foraging behavior and the vegetation characteristics associated with birds in flocks. We encountered 333 flocks containing 144 species, of which 26 species had adequate sample sizes for analyses. The size and rate of movement of the flocks were similar to those reported from other Neotropical sites, however, the species richness of our flocks was lower than reported in most other studies, perhaps due to simpler vegetation structure or higher latitude. Only 3 of 50 significant correlations between species pairs were negative, indicating that species generally were not restricted in their participation in mixed-species flocks by other species. In only one instance did we observe correspondence between the association of species-pairs in flocks and their foraging behavior. For most species there was no relationship between association between species-pairs in flocks and vegetation parameters with which they were associated. Thus, additional factors besides foraging facilitation and mutual association with particular vegetation characteristics must be responsible for many of the positive correlations among species pairs. We suggest that non-random association among species within flocks may result in part from enhanced vigilance for predator detection afforded by flock members using similar parts of the environment at the same time.

Functional evenness of bird communities varies along the elevational gradient in Europe: Conservation implications

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Morelli ◽  
Yanina
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Functional Evenness

ContextThe negative association between elevation and species richness is a well-recognized pattern in macro-ecology. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate changes in functional evenness of breeding bird communities along an elevation gradient in Europe. MethodsUsing the bird data from the EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds we estimated an index of functional evenness which can be assumed as a measure of the potential resilience of communities.ResultsOur findings confirm the existence of a negative association between elevation and bird species richness in all European eco regions. However, we also explored a novel aspect of this relationship, important for conservation: Our findings provide evidence at large spatial scale of a negative association between the functional evenness (potential community resilience) and elevation, independent of the eco region. We also found that the Natura2000 protected areas covers the territory most in need of protection, those characterized by bird communities with low potential resilience, in hilly and mountainous areas.ConclusionsThese results draw attention to European areas occupied by bird communities characterized by a potential lower capacity to respond to strong ecological changes, and, therefore, potentially more exposed to risks for conservation.

Experimentally increased costs of parental care are shunted to offspring in species with extended care

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gretchen F. Wagner ◽  
Emeline Mourocq ◽  
Michael Griesser
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Total Duration ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Experimental Treatment ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Trade Offs

Biparental care systems are a valuable model to examine conflict, cooperation, and coordination between unrelated individuals, as the product of the interactions between the parents influences the fitness of both individuals. A common experimental technique for testing coordinated responses to changes in the costs of parental care is to temporarily handicap one parent, inducing a higher cost of providing care. However, dissimilarity in experimental designs of these studies has hindered interspecific comparisons of the patterns of cost distribution between parents and offspring. Here we apply a comparative experimental approach by handicapping a parent at nests of five bird species using the same experimental treatment. In some species, a decrease in care by a handicapped parent was compensated by its partner, while in others the increased costs of care were shunted to the offspring. Parental responses to an increased cost of care primarily depended on the total duration of care that offspring require. However, life history pace (i.e., adult survival and fecundity) did not influence parental decisions when faced with a higher cost of caring. Our study highlights that a greater attention to intergenerational trade-offs is warranted, particularly in species with a large burden of parental care. Moreover, we demonstrate that parental care decisions may be weighed more against physiological workload constraints than against future prospects of reproduction, supporting evidence that avian species may devote comparable amounts of energy into survival, regardless of life history strategy.

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