Position of Blackbird (Turdus Merula) Nests in Orange Trees

Nest placement affects the risk of predation and determines the microclimate for incubation. We have analysed the nest placement of the blackbird nests and the temperatures at which they are exposed in an orange plantation from Eastern Spain. The data come from a 16.9 ha of an orange plantation. In this plot, nest searching techniques were applied. Nest placement and the temperatures at midday were recorded from a sample of 84 nests. Furthermore, a sample of 16 nests was used to determine the daily variation between 8:00 and 20:00 hours. We measured the nest height, tree height, and distance from the tree centre to the nest, and the length of the longest branch. The temperatures inside the…