Adaptive nest site choice by birds

鸟类适应性巢址选择

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-05617
• 负责人: Shutler, Dave
• 金额: $ 1.53万
• 依托单位: Acadia University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=665132
• 关键词: Adaptive; nest; site; choice; birds

Early in the imperative of reproduction, birds must decide where to breed, taking into account aspects of habitat such as proximity of foraging areas, predators, and vegetative cover. Because nest habitat can have profound influences on reproductive success, there is intense interest in unravelling bases for these decisions. Birds suffering nest failure are presumed to learn and disperse adaptively to better nest habitats. Nest failure is more often ascribed to predation than to any other cause. Accordingly, parents are predicted to invest significantly in strategies to conceal nests from predators. My research program will make novel contributions in rigorously testing aspects of the preceding framework, focusing on evaluating adaptive choices of nest habitat relative to previous nest success, and on parents' anti-predator defences. I will also mine my 15-year data set on reproduction in tree swallows wherein I have manipulated nest habitat to enable me to test experimentally for effects of nest habitat on reproductive success. Using recapture data, I will test whether adults adaptively choose better nest sites in successive reproductive attempts. Next, I will evaluate strategies of behavioral crypsis; breeding pairs of birds can improve crypsis of nest sites by synchronizing nest visits to limit opportunities for predators to observe feedings. In addition, predators may be more likely to home in on nest locations if parent birds' approach and departure vectors clearly end at a particular location. Thus, parents that approach nests should depart in a direction that differs by 180 degrees; in this way, a predator may conclude that a bird merely stopped temporarily en route to a final destination. I propose and develop the Choreography Hypothesis that predicts both feeding synchrony and coordinated approach/departure vectors of parents to reduce detection of breeding sites by predators. The hypothesis makes a wealth of original predictions with respect to, for example, predator communities, frequency of feeding, brood value, and how long parent birds have bred together, and influences of the preceding on choreography. Initial testing of the Choreography Hypothesis will be done using tree swallows; subsequent tests will be extended to other species. My research will have broad interest for others working on these critical aspects of Darwinian fitness; my unique and exciting predictions can be tested in a variety of systems. ******My primary research objectives are to conduct cutting edge research on factors that constitute significant contributors to avian reproductive success and survival. Funding from Canadians through the federal government enables me to train students, one of the most rewarding parts of my research program. My students leave as mature scientists who have unravelled novel aspects of birds' biology that can have important positive conservation impacts.

在繁殖的早期，鸟类必须决定在哪里繁殖，考虑到栖息地的各个方面，例如觅食区的距离、捕食者和植被覆盖。由于巢穴栖息​​地会对繁殖成功产生深远的影响，因此人们对揭开这些决定的基础产生了浓厚的兴趣。据推测，遭受巢穴失败的鸟类会适应性地学习和分散到更好的巢穴栖息地。巢穴失败更多地归因于捕食而不是任何其他原因。因此，预计父母将大力投资于隐藏巢穴以防止掠食者发现的策略。我的研究计划将在严格测试前述框架的各个方面做出新的贡献，重点是评估巢穴栖息地相对于先前巢穴成功的适应性选择，以及父母的反捕食者防御。我还将挖掘 15 年关于树燕繁殖的数据集，其中我操纵了巢穴栖息地，使我能够通过实验测试巢穴栖息地对繁殖成功率的影响。使用重新捕获的数据，我将测试成虫是否在连续的繁殖尝试中适应性地选择更好的筑巢地点。接下来，我将评估行为隐秘策略；成对繁殖的鸟类可以通过同步访问巢穴来限制捕食者观察进食的机会，从而改善巢穴地点的隐蔽性。此外，如果亲鸟的接近和离开向量明显以特定位置结束，捕食者可能更有可能在巢穴位置寻找家。因此，靠近巢穴的父母应该从相差180度的方向离开；通过这种方式，捕食者可能会得出结论，一只鸟只是在前往最终目的地的途中暂时停下来。我提出并发展了编排假说，该假说可以预测父母的进食同步性和协调的接近/离开向量，以减少捕食者对繁殖地点的发现。该假说对捕食者群落、进食频率、育雏价值、亲鸟一起繁殖的时间以及前述因素对编排的影响等做出了丰富的原创预测。编排假设的初步测试将使用树燕进行；后续测试将扩展到其他物种。我的研究将引起其他研究达尔文适应性这些关键方面的人的广泛兴趣；我独特而令人兴奋的预测可以在各种系统中进行测试。 ******我的主要研究目标是对鸟类繁殖成功和生存的重要影响因素进行前沿研究。加拿大人通过联邦政府提供的资金使我能够培训学生，这是我的研究项目中最有价值的部分之一。我的学生离开时已成为成熟的科学家，他们揭示了鸟类生物学的新颖方面，可以对保护产生重要的积极影响。