0000000000860209
AUTHOR
Grzegorz Hebda
Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) from Aegithalos caudatus (Passeriformes: Aegithalidae)
Three species of syringophilid mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) were collected from quills of Aegithalos caudatus (Passeriformes: Aegithalidae) in Poland, Picobia caudati sp. n. from body feathers, Dissonus scirpaceus Skoracki, 1999 from rectrices, and Syringophilopsis aegithali Bochkov et al., 2001 from secondaries.
Nest-site competition between bumblebees (Bombidae), social wasps (Vespidae) and cavity-nesting birds in Britain and the Western Palearctic
Capsule: There is no evidence of widespread significant nest-site competition in Britain or the Western Palearctic between cavity-nesting birds and bumblebees or social wasps. Aims: To investigate competition between cavity-nesting birds and bumblebees and wasps, particularly the range-expanding Tree Bumblebee, Saxon Wasp and European Hornet in Britain, and review evidence throughout the Western Palearctic. Methods: We compared field data from English and Polish studies of tits and woodpeckers breeding in nest-boxes and/or tree holes to assess nest-site competition with bumblebees and wasps. We reviewed the literature quantifying nest-site competition between birds and these insects in the …
Breeding success of the Great Tit Parus major in relation to attributes of natural nest cavities in a primeval forest
An overlap in attributes of nest cavities used by Great Tit Parus major across Eurasia suggests similar nest site preferences within the geographical range, although the drivers of these preferences are unclear. To determine whether preferred cavities provide conditions enhancing successful reproduction, we investigated the breeding performance of Great Tits in relation to tree cavity characteristics using data collected during 2008–2011 in primeval conditions (Białowieża National Park, Poland). Here, tree cavities are diverse and superabundant but nesting birds are at risk from a variety of predators. According to expectations, nest losses were high (60 % of Great Tit nests failed), mostly…
Interspecific attraction between ground-nesting songbirds and ants: the role of nest-site selection
Abstract Background Interspecific interactions within ecological networks can influence animal fitness and behaviour, including nest-site selection of birds and ants. Previous studies revealed that nesting birds and ants may benefit from cohabitation, with interspecific attraction through their nest-site choice, but mutual interactions have not yet been tested. We explored a previously undescribed ecological link between ground-nesting birds and ants raising their own broods (larvae and pupae) within the birds’ nests in a temperate primeval forest of lowland Europe. We tested whether the occurrence of ant broods within bird nests resulted from a mutual or one-sided interspecific attraction …
Natural nest-sites of Great Tits (Parus major) in a primeval temperate forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland)
Knowledge of the breeding ecology of the Great Tit Parus major is vast, but almost exclusively concerns birds using nest-boxes. Information on birds nesting in natural conditions is scant. Here, we present the results of the first thorough study on natural nest-sites of the Great Tit. The data, including descriptions of nest-cavity location and dimensions, were collected during 39 breeding seasons in the primeval forest of Bialowieza National Park (BNP), Poland. With an excess of available tree-cavities providing a diverse choice of nesting options, Great Tits nested mainly in non-excavated, very deep and spacious cavities with elongated, narrow openings, placed at intermediate heights in l…
Variation in timing of breeding of five woodpeckers in a primeval forest over 45 years: role of food, weather, and climate
AbstractClimate warming could lead to ‘mis-matching’ of birds’ breeding times with availability of their invertebrate food resources. Fluctuating spring temperatures could influence variation in the commencement of egg-laying, as well as, in phenology of their resources (e.g., tree bud burst, appearance of folivorous caterpillars). We studied timing of Dendrocopos leucotos, Dendrocoptes medius, Dendrocopos major, Dryobates minor, and Picoides tridactylus breeding in, free of direct human intervention, strictly protected fragments of Białowieża Forest (Poland) in 1975–2019. We related their onset of breeding to inter-year variation in spring weather, trees’ bud burst and timing of folivorous…
Long-term changes in winter abundance of the barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus in Poland and the climate change - Are current monitoring schemes still reliable for cryophilic bat species?
Warmer winters may lead to changes in the hibernation behaviour of bats, such as the barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, which prefers to hibernate at low temperatures. The species is also known for its large annual fluctuations in the number of wintering individuals, so inference about population trends should be based on long-term data. Prior to 2005, analyses indicated stable or even increasing barbastelle population in Poland. We analysed the results of 13 winter bat counts (2005–2017) of the species from 15 of the largest hibernacula, and additional site of 47 small bunkers, in Poland. The total number of wintering individuals remained stable during the study period, because the barb…
Disappearance rates of old nest material from tree cavities : an experimental study
Numerous forest organisms critically depend on availability of tree cavities. Some birds and rodents fill their cavities with bulky nests, which – if not removed – could accumulate and render cavities unusable, as recorded in nest-box studies. Data from earlier studies indicate that old nests can disappear from tree cavities so fast that practically no remnants are detectable the following spring. Rapid decomposition of nests in situ, augmented by physical removal of nest material by the cavity-users have been proposed as possible causative mechanisms. We tested these hypotheses in cavities used by tits (Parus major L., Poecile palustris L.) in the Białowieża National Park (E Poland). To mi…
Morphology, geographical variation and the subspecies of Marsh TitPoecile palustrisin Britain and central Europe
Capsule: All British Marsh Tits belong to subspecies Poecile palustris dresseri, being smaller than nominate P. p. palustris of central Europe. Aims: Determining the subspecies of Marsh Tit in Britain to test whether ssp. P. p. palustris occurs in northern England and Scotland, by assessing regional variation in size compared with central European birds. Methods: 1147 wing length and 250 tail length measurements from 953 Marsh Tits were compared between eight British locations to test for regional variation. Biometrics were compared between birds from Britain and six locations within the continental European range of ssp. palustris. Results: There was no regional variation in wing or tail l…
Occupation of wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nests by Myrmica and Lasius ants
Bird nests can provide habitats for various invertebrates, including ectoparasites, scavengers, and predators. Records of ants associating with active bird nests mostly involve the insects searching for food, with some exceptional records of ants raising their broods (eggs, larvae or pupae) within songbird nests in nest-boxes or tree cavities. We present data for a previously undocumented, but apparently regular, occurrence of ants and their broods within the active nests of a songbird, the wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein, 1793), which builds domed nests on the ground in European forests. Systematic recording found ants, mostly Myrmica ruginodis Nylander, 1846, in 43% of 80 …
The last meal: large insects predominate the diet of the European Roller Coracias garrulus prior to population extinction
Capsule: The diet of a European Roller Coracias garrulus population, approximately 10 years before its extinction, comprised of large-bodied orthopterans and coleopterans. Aims: To explore the diet composition of declining population of the European Roller. Methods: In 2005, 2006 and 2009, we monitored 18 nesting sites of the European Roller in southern Poland. Pellets and prey remain found in nest-holes were analysed. Results: In total, 1646 prey items were found. Orthoptera (60.4% of prey items) and Coleoptera (38.5%) predominated while vertebrates were caught rarely. Large-bodied species (orthopterans, bush-crickets, beetles Prionus coriarius and Cetonia aurata) including ground-dwellers…
Cohabitation of tree holes by ants and breeding birds in a temperate deciduous forest
A previously unknown association of ants with birds breeding in tree holes is described. Ants Lasius brunneus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were found in c. 15% of nests of Parus major L. and Poecile palustris L. (Paridae) breeding in tree holes in the primeval deciduous forest located in the Białowieża National Park (Poland). The ants preferably used holes located higher above the ground. As such holes are warmer than the unused holes or other nest sites, it is suggested that the ants cohabit holes utilized by the tits to gain thermal benefits.
Additional file 1 of Interspecific attraction between ground-nesting songbirds and ants: the role of nest-site selection
Additional file 1: Table S1. The number of ant colonies on sample plots (3 × 3 m) that were centred on Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nests and controls in 2018-2020. Shown are the total number of sample plots on which ant colonies were searched for, and the percentage of sample plots on which a minimum of one ant colony was found. An ant colony was defined as a group of ants (workers and/or a queen with larvae or pupae) occupying a nest structure other than bird nest. Table S2. The mean daily ambient temperature (5-day average) and daily sum of rainfall (5-day sum) preceding Wood Warbler nest failure or chicks’ fledging, and the delay of bird nest collection from the field in 2018-20…
Nest sites of a strong excavator, the Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, in a primeval forest
In managed forests, birds that create their own breeding holes in trees have limited access to substrates in which they can excavate. Therefore, nest site use in these forests possibly reflects availability of substrates more than species preferences. We analysed data on nest sites of Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major collected during 1987–2013 in the strictly protected part of Białowieża National Park in East Poland. The woodpeckers excavated breeding holes in 11 tree species, but species used in individual habitats varied greatly: Alder Alnus glutinosa was almost the only species used in the riverine forest; Common Aspen Populus tremula, Common Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Pedu…
Lack of specialist nidicoles as a characteristic of mite assemblages inhabiting nests of the ground-nesting wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Aves: Passeriformes)
AbstractBird and mammal nests provide microhabitats that support a range of other species, including invertebrates. However, the variation between communities of nest-dwelling invertebrates in different nests is poorly understood. The major aim of this study was to analyze the assemblage structure of mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) and from superfamily Crotonioidea (Acari: Oribatida) inhabiting nests of the wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Aves: Passeriformes), located on a forest floor in Białowieża Forest, in eastern Poland. We also assessed the correlation between the nest material used by the birds with the assemblage structure of Uropodina mites, and compa…
Decomposition Rate of Old Nest Material in Tree Holes
Abstract. We experimentally tested whether old nest material could decompose fast enough to clear tree holes between the consecutive seasons. To mimic the nest material we filled litter-bags with either 1 g of cellulose, or with 0.5 g of dog moulted hair. In August 2009 we placed pairs of these bags in 23 tree holes used by breeding birds in a deciduous forest in SW Poland. For reference, we placed the same sets of bags in the litter, at 23 random sites in the forest. The bags were removed in March 2010. After seven months of exposure almost all cellulose (median 92%) and most of hair (median 57%) disappeared from bags in the holes. These values were as high as (for cellulose) or even highe…
40 Years of Breeding Bird Community Dynamics in a Primeval Temperate Forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland)
We documented the composition and structure of the breeding bird assemblage in the primeval temperate forest of the Bialowieza National Park (BNP), during 2010-2014, and used 40 years of data to assess patterns of its diver- sity. We applied an improved version of the mapping technique (a combined mapping method) for forest birds in seven plots located in three old-growth forest types: ash-alder riverine, oak-hornbeam, and mixed coniferous. The composi- tion of the breeding avifauna and species richness remained basically unchanged. Jointly 67 (79% of 40-year total) breeding species were recorded in 2010-2014. Overall 49 (57%) of all species bred in the study plots in more than 35 years, th…
Immense plasticity of timing of breeding in a sedentary forest passerine, Poecile palustris
Numerous bird species have advanced their breeding seasons in response to climate warming. These changes were mostly brought about by phenotypic plasticity, i.e. flexible reactions of individual birds, rather than by microevolutionary change. Knowing the limits of plasticity is thus of paramount importance in any attempt to predict possible reactions of birds to climate warming. However, the breeding performance of the same individuals in contrasting environmental conditions, necessary to answer this question, is rarely observed. Here, we provide data on the flexibility in timing of egg-laying of individual marsh tit Poecile palustris females breeding in an extremely late (2013) and early (…
Inter-specific nest re-use by Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
ABSTRACTCapsule: Reports of inter-specific nest re-use by Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica in Europe and North America are reviewed. Inter-specific nest re-use was rare but appeared opportunistic, possibly functioning as a time-saving mechanism or as a result of limited nest sites.
Decomposition of nest material in tree holes and nest-boxes occupied by European Starlings Sturnus vulgaris: an experimental study
Numerous bird species depend on the availability of tree cavities, and most non-excavators fill their cavities with considerable amounts of nest material. If not removed, this material can accumulate and render cavities unusable, as recorded in some nest-box studies. Data from earlier studies of tree cavities, however, showed that nest material can decrease mostly due to in situ decomposition, but the relative difference between nest decomposition in tree holes and nest-boxes is still unknown. We undertook parallel studies of decay in tree holes and nest-boxes used by European Starlings Sturnus vulgaris in oak-hornbeam stands (SW Poland). We inserted into its tree holes and nest-boxes litte…
Nest sites of Middle Spotted Woodpeckers Leiopicus medius in a primeval forest
Forest management usually reduces the diversity and amount of substrates in which woodpeckers can excavate holes. In such conditions the recorded patterns of nest site selection could reflect a more reduced array of substrates than the species' nest site preferences. We analysed new data on nest sites of Middle Spotted Woodpeckers Leiopicus medius collected during 27 breeding seasons (1987–2013) in the strictly protected fragments of the Białowieża National Park in Poland. The birds could use diverse excavation substrates, of various statures, that varied in condition from living and healthy to dead and completely rotten. Middle Spotted Woodpeckers used a wide array of tree species, with li…
Weather impacts on interactions between nesting birds, nest-dwelling ectoparasites and ants.
AbstractWeather has a dominant impact on organisms, including their life histories and interspecific interactions. Yet, for nesting birds, and the arthropods inhabiting bird nests, the direct and cascading effects of weather are poorly known. We explored the influence of ambient temperatures and rainfall on the cohabitation of dome-shaped bird nests by Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix, their blowfly Protocalliphora azurea ectoparasites, and predatory Myrmica and Lasius ants that may provide nest sanitation. We sampled blowflies and ants in 129 nests, and measured warbler nestlings during 2018–2020 in the primeval Białowieża Forest, eastern Poland. The probability of ectoparasites occur…