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

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Andrée Giroux ◽  
Myriam Trottier-Paquet ◽  
Joël Bêty ◽  
Vincent Lamarre ◽  
Nicolas Lecomte
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Golden Plover ◽  
Mobbing Behaviour

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, and nesting in association with protective species. Plovers actively defend their territory by displaying early warning and aggressive/mobbing behaviour, potentially benefiting the neighbouring nests by decreasing their predation risk. To test for the existence of such a protective effect, 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 increases and decreases with the distance to and the density of plover nests, respectively. We monitored 18 plover nests and set 35 artificial nests at 30, 50, 100, 200 and 500 m from seven of those plover nests. Surprisingly, we showed that 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 represent a key step to better understand the importance of these species of conservation concern in tundra food webs.

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

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Andrée Giroux ◽  
Myriam Trottier-Paquet ◽  
Joël Bêty ◽  
Vincent Lamarre ◽  
Nicolas Lecomte
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Golden Plover ◽  
Mobbing Behaviour

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, and nesting in association with protective species. Plovers actively defend their territory by displaying early warning and aggressive/mobbing behaviour, potentially benefiting the neighbouring nests by decreasing their predation risk. To test for the existence of such a protective effect, 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 increases and decreases with the distance to and the density of plover nests, respectively. We monitored 18 plover nests and set 35 artificial nests at 30, 50, 100, 200 and 500 m from seven of those plover nests. Surprisingly, we showed that 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 represent a key step to better understand the importance of these species of conservation concern in tundra food webs.

Factors affecting site occupancy by woodland bird species of conservation concern

2009 ◽  
Vol 142 (12) ◽  
pp. 2896-2903 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.M. Montague-Drake ◽  
D.B. Lindenmayer ◽  
R.B. Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Site Occupancy ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern

scholarly journals Does the protected area network preserve bird species of conservation concern in a rapidly changing climate?

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimo Virkkala ◽  
Risto K. Heikkinen ◽  
Stefan Fronzek ◽  
Heini Kujala ◽  
Niko Leikola
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Protected Area Network ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern

scholarly journals Protected areas alleviate climate change effects on northern bird species of conservation concern

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (15) ◽  
pp. 2991-3003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimo Virkkala ◽  
Juha Pöyry ◽  
Risto K. Heikkinen ◽  
Aleksi Lehikoinen ◽  
Jari Valkama
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Conservation Concern

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 Bird species richness in High-Andean forest fragments: habitat quality and topography matter

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance Fastré ◽  
Diederik Strubbe ◽  
José A. Balderrama ◽  
Jennifer R.A. Cahill ◽  
Hannes Ledegen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Exotic Plantations ◽  
Conservation Concern

Montane forests worldwide are known centers of endemism and biodiversity but are highly threatened by fragmentation processes. Using data collected in 15 Polylepis forest remnants covering 2000 hectares, we investigated how bird species richness and bird community composition, particularly for species of conservation concern, are influenced by habitat quality and topography in the Tunari National Park in the High Andes of Bolivia. Bird species richness was highest in topographically complex, low-elevation Polylepis patches located in areas with a high potential to retain rainwater. Bird communities differed strongly between Polylepis lanata and P. subtusalbida remnants, each supporting different threatened and endemic species. Within the P. subtusalbida forest, high-elevation fragments characterized by high amounts of sunlight and low anthropogenic disturbance were more likely to contain threatened species. Surprisingly, we found no effect of fragment size on the diversity or composition of bird communities or the presence of bird species of conservation concern. The presence of exotic plantations (Pinus and/or Eucalyptus spp.) in or outside forest remnants was negatively associated with the number of bird species as well as with occurrence of the endangered Cochabamba-mountain finch (Compsospiza garleppi). To support the different communities found in Polylepis forests, these results suggest that conservation efforts should be directed towards both forest types (P. subtusalbida and P. lanata) present in the area. For an efficient management of avian diversity, exotic plantations should be established away from native remnants while existing patches should be managed to maintain or increase habitat quality. Finally, the importance of local topography in determining avian species richness and community composition in forest fragments, mainly through topographic controls on moisture distribution and the amount of sunlight received by the fragments, should be considered when planning conservation and reforestation schemes.

scholarly journals Biodiversity survey method for detecting species of conservation concern in Nova Scotia protected wilderness areas and nature reserves

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Robert P. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Nature Reserves ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Sample Length ◽  
Biodiversity Survey ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Wilderness Areas ◽  
Conservation Concern

Biodiversity transect surveys have been undertaken in protected Wilderness Areas and Nature Reserves in Nova Scotia, Canada since 2002. They document plant communities as well as plant and animal species of conservation concern. The Protected Areas Branch wished to have an assessment of the value of these surveys. Fourteen years of sampling data in 80 Wilderness Areas and Nature Reserves were used to determine detectability, density and distribution of species of conservation concern. Two hundred and twenty-two occurrences of species of interest were re- corded. Nine bird species and 19 plant and lichen species were recorded 2 or more times. Densities for bird species ranged from 0.023 individuals per km of transect (± 0.012) for the Boreal Chickadee to 0.727-km (± 0.007) for the Eastern Wood Pewee. Plants densities ranged from 0.02 individuals per km (± 0.01) for the Round-Leaved Orchid to 27.1 individuals per km (± 10.4) for the Bulblet Bladder Fern. Most of the species of conservation concern were rare with 66% being found only once. The method used for the current biodiversity transect surveys appears to be adequate for the more common species of conservation concern when a single protected area is examined. However, less than half the species analyzed had a 95% confidence of being detected within the mean sample length of the transect (4.5 km). All species analyzed were within the sample length when all protected areas were combined suggesting that the present methodology is more useful as a system wide survey rather than for individual protected areas. Twenty-eight of eighty-three species of conservation concern detected during the survey occurred frequently enough for density calculations. Methods that might increase the value of the surveys include grouping species, using species richness measures, using occupancy or accepting lower confidence intervals and confidence limits.Keywords: biodiversity survey, species of conservation concern, species at risk, protected areas

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