Coping with nest predation risk in a species-rich bird community inhabiting a Siberian wetland
2014
Sladecek, M., Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Ecology | Kubelka, V., Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Ecology | Mlikovsky, J., National Museum, Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Zoology | Salek, M., Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague (Czech Republic). Dept. of Ecology
Birds protect their nests against predators in various wavs. In addition to active defence, thev can hide their nests or use the protection of other species breeding nearbv that activelv defend the nests. Studies evaluating these strategies simultaneously are rare, especially from areas unaltered by humans. Nest predation risks were studied in a wetland bird community at Lake Baikal, Russia. The community contained several species actively defending their nests, although most were "passive defenders". Such tactics as defence, concealed nesting, neighbourhood nesting and coloniality were tested for their effects on predation risk. The main predators were birds, particulary carrion crows (Corvus corone). Analysis of 193 nests using multimodel inference based on Akaike's information criterion suggests the most successful tactic was active nest defence, although most birds applying this tactic build open (uncovered) nests. Pasive defenders effectively reduced this risk by nest concealment and/or breeding near active defenders. Opposing patterns were found for active versus passive defenders near the most succesful breeder but also a potential nest predator, the Mongolian gull (Larus mongolicus). Conservation implications emphasize support for large aggregations of active nest defenders, vegetation cover providing good nest shelter, and sufficient area of interior habitat reducing edge effects.
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