<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Selecting a suitable breeding habitats and a nest-site within are crucial decisions birds have to make. Free ranging solitary Kestrels may use public information derived from leftover pellets and prey remnants from previous conspecific breeding attempts to assess location quality. However, this information may also indicate potentially higher nestling ectoparasite load. In colonies where habitat quality is similar for all available nests, the only information of previous nest usage may reflect expected future parasite pressure. In this study we explored whether Kestrels, Red-footed Falcons and Jackdaws rely on nest-material consisting of pellets and prey remnants when choosing a nest in a multi species artificial colony system. We also assessed potential effects of these decisions on reproductive success. We randomly selected and cleaned half (n=102) of all available nest-boxes in each of the studied 4 colonies before the breeding season. We then monitored occupancy, egg-laying date, hatching and fledging success. In case of Red-footed Falcons, we also acquired adult age and nestling condition data. Our results show that Kestrels were more likely to breed in uncleaned nest-boxes, however, eggs laid in cleaned nest-boxes were more likely to develop into fledged nestlings. There was a weak indication that lower hatching rate was responsible for this effect, rather than increased parasite load. Nest box cleaning had no effect on measured variables in case of Red-footed Falcons and Jackdaws. Colonial breeding of Kestrels, the only species to react to nest-box cleaning, is rare and is probably a consequence of extreme nest-site shortage in our study site. We conclude that Kestrels are not adapted to interpret the information carried by pellets and prey-remnants in colony nest-boxes.</p></abstract>

Selecting a suitable breeding habitats and a nest-site within are crucial decisions birds have to make. Free ranging solitary Kestrels may use public information derived from leftover pellets and prey remnants from previous conspecific breeding attempts to assess location quality. However, this information may also indicate potentially higher nestling ectoparasite load. In colonies where habitat quality is similar for all available nests, the only information of previous nest usage may reflect expected future parasite pressure. In this study we explored whether Kestrels, Red-footed Falcons and Jackdaws rely on nest-material consisting of pellets and prey remnants when choosing a nest in a multi species artificial colony system. We also assessed potential effects of these decisions on reproductive success. We randomly selected and cleaned half (n=102) of all available nest-boxes in each of the studied 4 colonies before the breeding season. We then monitored occupancy, egg-laying date, hatching and fledging success. In case of Red-footed Falcons, we also acquired adult age and nestling condition data. Our results show that Kestrels were more likely to breed in uncleaned nest-boxes, however, eggs laid in cleaned nest-boxes were more likely to develop into fledged nestlings. There was a weak indication that lower hatching rate was responsible for this effect, rather than increased parasite load. Nest box cleaning had no effect on measured variables in case of Red-footed Falcons and Jackdaws. Colonial breeding of Kestrels, the only species to react to nest-box cleaning, is rare and is probably a consequence of extreme nest-site shortage in our study site. We conclude that Kestrels are not adapted to interpret the information carried by pellets and prey-remnants in colony nest-boxes.

Species specific effect of nest-box cleaning on settlement selection decisions in an artificial colony system

Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 1088 Budapest, Baross utca 13., Hungary

Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, 1078 Budapest, István utca 2., Hungary

MME/BirdLife Hungary, Red-footed Falcon Conservation Working Group, 1121 Budapest, Költő utca 21., Hungary

Körös-Maros National Park Directorate, 5440 Szarvas, Anna liget 1., Hungary

Ornis Hungarica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Selecting a suitable breeding habitats and a nest-site within are crucial decisions birds have to make. Free ranging solitary Kestrels may use public...

Species specific effect of nest-box cleaning on settlement selection decisions in an artificial colony system

Published Online: Jul 24, 2015

Page range: 66 - 76

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/orhu-2015-0006

Keywords
public information, nest site choice

© Péter Fehérvári et al.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Species specific effect of nest-box cleaning on settlement selection decisions in an artificial colony system

Published Online: Jul 24, 2015

Page range: 66 - 76

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/orhu-2015-0006

Keywordspublic information, nest site choice

© Péter Fehérvári et al.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
public information, nest site choice