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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Nest Defense- Grassland Bird Responses To Snakes, Kevin Ellison, Christine Ribic
Nest Defense- Grassland Bird Responses To Snakes, Kevin Ellison, Christine Ribic
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Predation is the primary source of nest mortality for most passerines; thus, behaviors to reduce the impacts of predation are frequently quantified to study learning, adaptation, and coevolution among predator and prey species. Video surveillance of nests has made it possible to examine real-time parental nest defense. During 1999-2009, we used video camera systems to monitor 518 nests of grassland birds. We reviewed video of 48 visits by snakes to 34 nests; 37 of these visits resulted in predation of active nests. When adult birds encountered snakes at the nest (n = 33 visits), 76% of the encounters resulted …
Conservation Implications When The Nest Predators Are Known, Frank Thompson, C.A. Ribic
Conservation Implications When The Nest Predators Are Known, Frank Thompson, C.A. Ribic
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Conservation and management of passerines has largely focused on habitat manipulation or restoration because the natural communities on which these birds depend have been destroyed and fragmented. However, productivity is another important aspect of avian conservation, and nest predation can be a large source of nesting mortality for passerines. Recent studies using video surveillance to identify nest predators allow researchers to start evaluating what methods could be used to mitigate nest predation to help passerines of conservation concern. From recent studies, we identified latitudinal and habitat-related patterns in the importance of predator groups that depredate passerine nests. We then reviewed …
Predatory Identity Can Explain Nest Predation Patterns, Jennifer L. Reidy, Frank Thompson
Predatory Identity Can Explain Nest Predation Patterns, Jennifer L. Reidy, Frank Thompson
USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Knowledge of dominant predators is necessary to identify predation patterns and mitigate losses to nest predation, especially for endangered songbirds. We monitored songbird nests with time lapse infrared video cameras at Fort Hood Military Reservation, Texas, from 1997 to 2002 and 2005, and in Austin, Texas, during 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009. Predation was the most common source of nest failure. We identified 13 species of predators during 126 predation events. Snakes were the most frequent nest predator group (n = 48), followed by birds (n = 25), fire ants (n = 22), cowbirds (n = 15), …