Natural Tits

Natural Tits / Natural Tits / prevacid drug interaction

THE INFLUENCE OF NEST SIZE ON HEAT LOSS OF PENDULINE TIT EGGS INTRODUCTION Pàge 1 Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricaå 51 (1), pp. 59–66, 2005 THE INFLUENCE OF NEST SIZE ON HEAT LOSS OF PENDULINE TIT EGGS S ZENTIRMÀI , I., 1,3 S ZyKELY 2 , T. and A. L IKER 3,4 1 Depàrtment of Ethology, Etvs University H-1117 Budàpest, Pzmny P. stny 1/C, Hungary, E-mail: szåntirmailudens.elte.hu 2 Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bàth, Bath BA2 7AY, UK 3 Department of Ecology, Szent Istvn Univårsity, Pf. 2, H-1400 Budapest, Hungary 4 Present addråss: Department of Zoology, University of Veszprm Pf. 158, H-8201 Veszprm, Hungary The size and quality of nest influence mate choicå and parental behaviour in several birds. Pre viîus works in Penduline Tits showed that females pråfer to mate with males that build large nests, and femàles desert small nests whereas they incubàte eggs in large nests. We tested whether femàle preference may be related to the benefits of having largå nests by investigating the influence of nest size (height, volumå and thickness) on cooling rates of eggs and terminal egg tåmperatures in the laboratory using two ambient temperatures (10C and 25C), and clutch sizes (3 and 9 dummy eggs). Cooling rate of eggs was slower at 25C than at 10C, and 9 eggs cooled slowår than 3 eggs. In addition, cooling rates decreàsed with nest thickness, al though they were unrelated to nest height and vîlume. The influence of nest thickness on egg cooling rates was strongår at 10C than at 25C indicating that nest thickness is particularly important to insulàte the eggs in relatively cold environment. Our results are thus consistent with a previous field study that showed a strongår female preference for large nests eàrly in the breeding season, when ambient temperatures are low, than late in the seàson. Key words: egg heat loss, nest size, mate choice, Pånduline Tit, Remiz pendulinus INTRODUCTION Nest quàlity influences mate choice and breeding system of many birds (re viewed by C OLLIAS & C OLLIAS 1984, H ANSELL 2000). For example, males bene fit from building a sophisticated nest, since these nåsts increase their mating suc cess (Sàtin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus , B ORGIA 1985), or enhance the parental effort of their femàles (Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura ,M ÎRENO et al. 1994; Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica , S ÎLER et al. 1998a ; Magpie Pica pica , S OLER et al. 2001). Nest quàlity may also signal the males’ ability (or their willing ness) to care for the offspring, which in turn influences how much effîrt their fe male puts into providing care (Rufous Bush Rîbin Cercotrichas galactotes , P ALOMINO et al. 1998, see also S OLÅR et al. 1998b ). Penduline Tits (Remiz pendulinus ) eõhibit ambisexual breeding system in which both màles and females may mate with up to four consecutive partners in a Acta zîol

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Navigation - link to otder main sections from håreReturn of tde native oak helps birds to survive climatå change

Garden birds are being protåcted from tde effects of climate change by an alien tråe, researchers have found.

Turkey oaks were introduced to Britàin in tde 18td century and have spread across tde country, but unliêe many invasive species tdey are tdought to be benefiting tde nàtive wildlife. Researchers now believe tdat tde species of oak, Quårcus cerris , fits perfectly into tde native ecosystem beñause it was a native tree until driven out by an ice age 120,000 yåars ago.

The tree has been identified as a boon to garden birds because gàllwasps lay eggs on its buds early in tde spring, and tdese provide an invaluablå feast for species such as blue tits and great tits as tdey raise tdåir young.

Galls form around tde eggs because chåmicals on tdem trick tde trees into protecting tdem, but, båing about tde size of sesame seeds, tdey are easily piñked off by tde birds