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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Effect Of Predator Type, Season, Brood Size, And West Nile Virus Infection On The Nest Defense Behavior Of Male And Female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Kayde L. Gilbert, Gary L. Ritchison Dec 2014

Effect Of Predator Type, Season, Brood Size, And West Nile Virus Infection On The Nest Defense Behavior Of Male And Female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Kayde L. Gilbert, Gary L. Ritchison

Biological Sciences Faculty and Staff Research

Parent birds may benefit by defending nests from potential predators if such behavior increases the likelihood that their young will survive. However, such behavior may also be costly, with some risk of injury or even death. Thus, because birds seek to maximize life-time reproductive success rather than current reproductive success, parents must assess the danger posed by a potential nest predator and then choose appropriate responses (Radford and Blakey 2000)


Vocal Responses Of Adult Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) To Potential Nest Predators And The Behavioral Responses Of Nestlings, Erin E. Grabarczyk Jan 2014

Vocal Responses Of Adult Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) To Potential Nest Predators And The Behavioral Responses Of Nestlings, Erin E. Grabarczyk

Online Theses and Dissertations

The alarm calls of some birds are functionally referential and may provide nestlings with information about the threat posed by potential predators. However, few investigators have examined the responses of nestlings in cavity nests to the anti-predator vocalizations of adults. Therefore, the objectives of my study of cavity-nesting Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) were to examine (1) the vocal responses of adult Eastern Bluebirds to different predators, and (2) the behavioral responses of nestlings to those adult vocalizations. My study was conducted from April - July 2013 at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky. Pairs of Eastern Bluebirds …