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Nesting dolls
A little girl struggling to find her place within her family is shown how special she is through a set of nesting dolls.
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Sensory pollutants alter bird phenology and fitness across a continent
Expansion of anthropogenic noise and night lighting across our planet
1
,
2
is of increasing conservation concern
3
–
6
. Despite growing knowledge of physiological and behavioural responses to these stimuli from single-species and local-scale studies, whether these pollutants affect fitness is less clear, as is how and why species vary in their sensitivity to these anthropic stressors. Here we leverage a large citizen science dataset paired with high-resolution noise and light data from across the contiguous United States to assess how these stimuli affect reproductive success in 142 bird species. We find responses to both sensory pollutants linked to the functional traits and habitat affiliations of species. For example, overall nest success was negatively correlated with noise among birds in closed environments. Species-specific changes in reproductive timing and hatching success in response to noise exposure were explained by vocalization frequency, nesting location and diet. Additionally, increased light-gathering ability of species’ eyes was associated with stronger advancements in reproductive timing in response to light exposure, potentially creating phenological mismatches
7
. Unexpectedly, better light-gathering ability was linked to reduced clutch failure and increased overall nest success in response to light exposure, raising important questions about how responses to sensory pollutants counteract or exacerbate responses to other aspects of global change, such as climate warming. These findings demonstrate that anthropogenic noise and light can substantially affect breeding bird phenology and fitness, and underscore the need to consider sensory pollutants alongside traditional dimensions of the environment that typically inform biodiversity conservation.
Human-generated noise and night lighting affect breeding habits and fitness in birds, implying that sensory pollutants must be considered alongside other environmental factors in assessing biodiversity conservation.
Journal Article
Tree Cavity Occupancy by Nesting Vertebrates across Cavity Age
Cavity-nesting birds and mammals exhibit species-specific nest-site selection for tree characteristics and cavity dimensions. Although trees and their cavities change as they age, with trees becoming softer and cavities becoming larger, it is not known how their value as nesting resources varies with age. In the context of wildlife and forest management, we investigated the relative value of generating a supply of fresh cavities, which are thought to be of high quality, versus protecting cavities as they age and expand in interior volume. For 21 years (1995-2016), we monitored the formation and occupancy of tree cavities used by >30 species of birds and mammals in interior British Columbia, Canada. Cavity occupancy by secondary users was highest 1 year post-excavation (53%), then declined to 40% after 2 years, remained at 33 ± 7% (SD) between 3 and 16 years of age, and increased to 50% use from 17–20 years post-excavation. Excavators that reused cavities (woodpeckers [Picidae], nuthatches [Sitta spp.]) strongly selected 1- and 2-year-old cavities, large-bodied non-excavators (ducks, raptors, squirrels) selected mid-aged cavities, and mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) selected most strongly for the oldest cavities. Cavities created in living aspen trees (Populus spp.), especially those excavated by northern flickers (Colaptes auratus), maintained high occupancy by secondary users across cavity age, and provided the bulk of cavities used in this system. Altogether, these results show that a diverse excavator community is needed to generate a supply of fresh cavities in the ecosystem, and retention of the mid-aged and older cavities will help support larger species.
Journal Article
Divergent Egg‐Rejection Strategies Between Laying and Incubation Periods in the Green‐Backed Tit (Parus monticolus)
Egg recognition and rejection constitute essential host defenses against brood parasitism, with rejection decisions reflecting evolutionary adaptations shaped by cost–benefit trade‐offs. Although long‐term studies have established correlations between egg rejection behavior and parasitism risk, it remains unclear whether hosts can dynamically adjust their defenses in response to stage‐specific parasitic threats across different breeding periods. We investigated temporal variation in egg recognition and rejection latency in the green‐backed tit (Parus monticolus), analyzing both seasonal patterns and stage‐specific responses within breeding cycles. Our findings reveal that while rejection behavior remained consistently precise throughout the breeding season without seasonal variation, we observed a striking stage‐dependent pattern: complete acceptance of parasitic eggs during laying followed by near‐total rejection during incubation. This biphasic response contrasts sharply with patterns reported in most other host species. We propose this unique recognition strategy stems from the tit's egg‐covering behavior during laying—an adaptation likely driven by nest predation pressure that temporarily suppresses anti‐parasitic defenses. These results demonstrate that green‐backed tits have evolved independent adaptive responses to distinct selective pressures: nest predation during egg‐laying and brood parasitism during incubation. This study provides new insights into the plasticity of host defenses and suggests that species with egg‐covering behaviors may develop specialized anti‐parasitic strategies. Our findings offer important implications for understanding the evolutionary dynamics of host–parasite interactions and establish a framework for investigating recognition behaviors in other cavity‐nesting hosts. Our results demonstrate that green‐backed tits have evolved independent adaptive responses to distinct selective pressures: nest predation during egg‐laying and brood parasitism during incubation. This study provides new insights into the plasticity of host defenses and suggests that species with egg‐covering behaviors may develop specialized anti‐parasitic strategies.
Journal Article
Notes on the use of 'bee hotels' by stem-nesting Hymenoptera in three County Dublin orchards
To investigate the nesting behaviour of stem-nesting bees and wasps, homemade \"bee hotels containing cardboard nest tubes were placed out from March to September 2021 in three Co. Dublin orchards (Aras an Uacht aráin, University College Dublin, and Lusk). Occupation of nest tubes commenced in May, and peaked in July and August. The following spring, four species of Hymenoptera emerged, each using a narrow range of nest tube diameters: the bees Hylaeus communis (4 mm tubes), Osmia bicornis (8 mm tubes) and Megachile versicolor (8-10 mm tubes), and the potter wasp Ancistrocerus trifasciatus (4-6 mm tubes). There was also an indication that some species might prefer hotels set at certain heights above the ground, although data were too few to make definitive conclusions. Although bees and wasps emerged from hotels placed out at all three sites, the overall rate of emergence from individual nest tubes was very low (c.1.8 %). The results of this study suggest that future investigations on Irish stem-nesting Hymenoptera would benefit by providing a range of nest tube diameters, ideally set at different heights above the ground. Additionally, to optimize workloads, exposure times in the field could be restricted to summer months (May-August) ana setting up fewer nest tubes per site would likely suffice.
Journal Article
A systematic review of the nesting and overwintering habitat of bumble bees globally
Some bumble bee species are in decline globally. Declines have been attributed to many factors including habitat loss. Habitat is an integral component of any species and should be a central focus of conservation efforts to protect at risk species. However, the habitat of bumble bee species is not fully understood. We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature using Web of Science to summarize articles that have described the habitat of bumble bee species. In total, 55 nesting and 10 overwintering habitat studies are described in this review. We described common patterns associated with bumble bee studies including overwintering habitat, landscape type, and ground position. We found that bumble bee nests are more frequently found underground and that studies were biased towards the United Kingdom and agricultural habitats. There are some preferences in nesting and overwintering habitat, but further research is needed to draw any substantial conclusions. Detection of nesting and overwintering site studies may be improved using citizen science initiatives and possibly through employing detection dogs or radio-telemetry. Increasing the detection of nesting and overwintering sites is an important priority to improve our understanding of bumble bee habitat. It is critical that we identify all aspects of bumble bee habitat to ensure the protection, restoration and creation of important resources to ensure their conservation.
Journal Article
The role of wood hardness in limiting nest site selection in avian cavity excavators
Woodpeckers and other primary cavity excavators (PCEs) are important worldwide for excavating cavities in trees, and a large number of studies have examined their nesting preferences. However, quantitative measures of wood hardness have been omitted from most studies, and ecologists have focused on the effects of external tree- and habitat-level features on nesting. Moreover, information is lacking on the role of wood hardness in limiting nesting opportunities for this important guild. Here, we used an information theoretic approach to examine the role of wood hardness in multi-scale nest site selection and in limiting nesting opportunities for six species of North American PCEs. We found that interior wood hardness at nests (
n
= 259) differed from that at random sites, and all six species of PCE had nests with significantly softer interior wood than random trees (
F
1, 517
= 106.15,
P
< 0.0001). Accordingly, interior wood hardness was the most influential factor in our models of nest site selection at both spatial scales that we examined: in the selection of trees within territories and in the selection of nest locations on trees. Moreover, regardless of hypothesized excavation abilities, all the species in our study appeared constrained by interior wood hardness, and only 4-14% of random sites were actually suitable for nesting. Our findings suggest that past studies that did not measure wood hardness counted many sites as available to PCEs when they were actually unsuitable, potentially biasing results. Moreover, by not accounting for nest site limitations in PCEs, managers may overestimate the amount of suitable habitat. We therefore urge ecologists to incorporate quantitative measures of wood hardness into PCE nest site selection studies, and to consider the limitations faced by avian cavity excavators in forest management decisions.
Journal Article
Sound settlement: noise surpasses land cover in explaining breeding habitat selection of secondary cavity-nesting birds
Birds breeding in heterogeneous landscapes select nest sites by cueing in on a variety of factors from landscape features and social information to the presence of natural enemies. We focus on determining the relative impact of anthropogenic noise on nest site occupancy, compared to amount of forest cover, which is known to strongly influence the selection process. We examine chronic, industrial noise from natural gas wells directly measured at the nest box as well as site-averaged noise, using a well-established field experimental system in northwestern New Mexico. We hypothesized that high levels of noise, both at the nest site and in the environment, would decrease nest box occupancy. We set up nest boxes using a geospatially paired control and experimental site design and analyzed four years of occupancy data from four secondary cavity-nesting birds common to the Colorado Plateau. We found different effects of noise and landscape features depending on species, with strong effects of noise observed in breeding habitat selection of Myiarchus cinerascens, the Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Sialia currucoides, the Mountain Bluebird. In contrast, the amount of forest cover less frequently explained habitat selection for those species or had a smaller standardized effect than the acoustic environment. Although forest cover characterization and management is commonly employed by natural resource managers, our results show that characterizing and managing the acoustic environment should be an important tool in protected area management.
Journal Article
Chronic anthropogenic noise disrupts glucocorticoid signaling and has multiple effects on fitness in an avian community
Anthropogenic noise is a pervasive pollutant that decreases environmental quality by disrupting a suite of behaviors vital to perception and communication. However, even within populations of noise-sensitive species, individuals still select breeding sites located within areas exposed to high noise levels, with largely unknown physiological and fitness consequences. We use a study system in the natural gas fields of northern New Mexico to test the prediction that exposure to noise causes glucocorticoid-signaling dysfunction and decreases fitness in a community of secondary cavity-nesting birds. In accordance with these predictions, and across all species, we find strong support for noise exposure decreasing baseline corticosterone in adults and nestlings and, conversely, increasing acute stressor-induced corticosterone in nestlings. We also document fitness consequences with increased noise in the form of reduced hatching success in the western bluebird (Sialia mexicana), the species most likely to nest in noisiest environments. Nestlings of all three species exhibited accelerated growth of both feathers and body size at intermediate noise amplitudes compared with lower or higher amplitudes. Our results are consistent with recent experimental laboratory studies and show that noise functions as a chronic, inescapable stressor. Anthropogenic noise likely impairs environmental risk perception by species relying on acoustic cues and ultimately leads to impacts on fitness. Our work, when taken together with recent efforts to document noise across the landscape, implies potential wide-spread, noise-induced chronic stress coupled with reduced fitness for many species reliant on acoustic cues.
Journal Article