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Use of Materials in Nest Construction by Pied Flycatchers Ficedula Hypoleuca Reflects Localized Habitat and Geographical Location

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Use of Materials in Nest Construction by Pied Flycatchers Ficedula Hypoleuca Reflects Localized Habitat and Geographical Location View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Lincoln Institutional Repository Bird Study ISSN: 0006-3657 (Print) 1944-6705 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tbis20 Use of materials in nest construction by Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca reflects localized habitat and geographical location Kevin B. Briggs & D. Charles Deeming To cite this article: Kevin B. Briggs & D. Charles Deeming (2016): Use of materials in nest construction by Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca reflects localized habitat and geographical location, Bird Study To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2016.1238867 Published online: 30 Sep 2016. Submit your article to this journal View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tbis20 Download by: [University of Lincoln] Date: 30 September 2016, At: 02:34 BIRD STUDY, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2016.1238867 Use of materials in nest construction by Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca reflects localized habitat and geographical location Kevin B. Briggsa and D. Charles Deemingb aIndependent Researcher, Carnforth, Lancashire, UK; bJoseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Capsule: Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca use different materials to construct their nests Received 19 April 2016 according to local availability and geographical location. Accepted 16 September 2016 Aims: This study tested the hypotheses that Pied Flycatcher nests were constructed from the leaves of different tree species in proportion to their occurrence within the breeding territories and that nest composition varied between geographical locations. Methods: In Lancashire, Pied Flycatcher nests were collected from nestboxes built in locations dominated by different tree species and were deconstructed to determine which materials were used. Results: The leaves found in nests generally reflected their availability within the locality of the territories rather than showing evidence of selective use of some leaf species. However, the use of moss was dominated by the use of one species in all but two nests. Nests from Lancashire were significantly different in composition when compared with published data for nests from north Wales and central Spain. Conclusion: Pied Flycatchers exhibit plasticity in nest construction behaviour because they were opportunistic in their choice of most leaves as nesting materials, although they may be selective in their choice of moss. Construction of nests is a plastic behaviour in birds There is evidence that selection of materials is (Deeming & Mainwaring 2015). Individual birds do opportunistic. For instance, use of wool in Great Tit not construct nests in the same way (Walsh et al. nests varied between years and seemed to reflect the 2011) and nests constructed in one location can vary proximity of sheep to the nesting woodlands (Britt & according to time of building or temperature (Britt & Deeming 2011). In an experiment, Surgey et al.(2012) Deeming 2011, Deeming & Mainwaring 2015). Nest provided tit species (Paridae) with differently coloured, materials used during construction can also vary artificial materials that they used in their nests. The between geographical locations, for example, in Great extent to which the various colours were used depended Tits Parus major (Álvarez et al. 2012). The materials on the distance between the location of the materials used in a nest can correlate with the functional dispenser and the nestbox. The closer the distance, the properties of a nest, for example, Common Blackbirds more materials were used. Use of anthropogenic Turdus merula use more dry grass in better insulated materials in nests also seems to be deliberate but nests (Mainwaring et al. 2014). The choice of materials opportunistic. Cigarette butts were used in nests by used in different parts of the nest is also different with House Sparrows Passer domesticus and House Finches materials used in cups varying from those of the nest Carpodacus mexicanus nesting in urban environments base, as seen in the European Robin Erithacus rubecula (Suárez-Rodríguez et al. 2013). Other instances do seem (Taberner Cerezo & Deeming 2016), and the size, to suggest that selection of material is more deliberate. strength and rigidity of the materials can also vary in For example, use of pieces of white plastic by Black different parts of the nest (Biddle et al. 2015, Kites Milvus milvus was seen as being a sexual signal forthcoming). In some instances, birds include fresh and is age-dependent (Sergio et al. 2011). In addition, leaves from specific plants that have anti-microbial Rock Sparrows Petronia petronia actively carried properties or which discourage ectoparasites in their feathers to their nests seemingly to act as a signal nests (Dubiec et al. 2013). between conspecifics (García-Navas et al. 2015). CONTACT D. Charles Deeming [email protected] School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK © 2016 British Trust for Ornithology 2 K. B. BRIGGS AND D. C. DEEMING Despite these reports we have little understanding of use, by testing whether Pied Flycatchers in Lancashire whether birds have preferences for particular nest were using different materials in their nests compared materials. Compared to Great Tits, Blue Tits Cyanistes with those from Wales and Spain. caeruleus seem to prefer feathers over hair to line their nests (Perrins 1979, Britt & Deeming 2011) but we Methods have no idea of the efforts that individuals will use to find particular materials. Surgey et al.(2012) found no Twenty-five Pied Flycatcher F. hypoleuca nests were evidence that tits were travelling further to select collected from five woodland sites in northwest materials of a particular colour of material. However, if Lancashire, England (54°05′N, 2°36′W, altitude = 100– birds were seeking out particular nesting materials, for 190 m above sea level) in late June and early July 2015. example leaves of a particular species, they would The woods are deciduous, with some additional conifer presumably pay a cost of exploring for such materials plantations, but within them are areas (measuring at over a wider area rather than using what could be seen least 50 × 100 m) of four different types dominated as a comparable material closer to the nest site, such as mainly by one tree species, that is, birch Betula sp. leaves of a second species within the birds’ territories. (n = 2), alder Alnus glutinosa (n = 4), oak Quercus sp. Hence, the feathers collected by Rock Sparrows did not (n = 10) and mixed oak and birch (n = 9), that give the appear to serve any thermoregulatory role yet they birds a specific characteristic for the nesting territory were associated with the extra energetic effort of habitat. The birds were supplied with wooden collection and there could an increased risk of nestboxes of identical construction (internal floor predation (García-Navas et al. 2015). dimensions of 140 × 95 mm; distance from nest floor Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca nests are regularly to hole of 105 mm) so that all birds had the same base built within nestboxes in upland woods making them a area and box volume in which to build a nest. Boxes good subject to study. A variety of plant materials are were placed approximately 50 m apart and at 1.5 m found in Pied Flycatcher nests (Stjernberg 1974, above the ground, attached to a tree trunk and facing Lundberg & Alatalo 1992) but data collected for nests in a southerly or easterly direction except when in Wales show that there is a high proportion of tree topographical characteristics did not allow this. The leaves used (Deacon et al. cited by Deeming & boxes had been cleaned out the previous autumn and Mainwaring 2015). By contrast, Pied Flycatchers in at the start of the 2015 season the boxes were central Spain seem to prefer grass over tree leaves in monitored every five days to ensure that other bird their nests (Moreno et al. 2009, Cantarero et al. 2013). species had not started and abandoned a nest. It is unclear whether this difference in the use of A quantitative assessment of the distribution of tree materials reflects either: general plasticity in choice of species in the woodland types was made by identifying materials used in nest construction, variability in the and counting the number of trees within a 25 m radius availability of materials, differences in the properties of of the tree to which the occupied nestbox was attached. the materials used, or a difference in preference for The count included the tree holding the nestbox. This materials in these geographically separated populations. area corresponds to approximately 1960 m², which is This study sought to tease apart these possibilities by equivalent to the upper range of the territory size exploring the role of material choice in nest reported for Pied Flycatchers (Cramp & Perrins 1993). construction behaviour of Pied Flycatchers nesting in All the boxes were checked at least once a week from mixed woodland in Lancashire, England. In our study the beginning of April following a nest recording the nature of the woodland meant that birds were protocol (British Trust for Ornithology Nest Record occupying nestboxes in areas dominated by one or two Scheme; Cooper et al. 2015). After completion of the species of tree. This provided an opportunity to nesting attempt the nest was removed, sealed in a investigate whether the birds had a preference for labelled plastic bag and then frozen for 4 days at −20°C leaves from a particular tree species, which they would to kill any invertebrates (Britt & Deeming 2011). The have to travel greater distances to collect, or if the nests were then air-dried in separate plastic trays and birds simply used the leaves nearest to the nestbox.
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