Anti-predator behaviour and mating systems in waders: aggressive nest defence selects for monogamy

Larsen, T. B.

doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80643-8

Cited by 46 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…As a nest ages and its relative value increases, parents can increase their investment by defending it more aggressively (reviewed in Montgomerie and Weatherhead 1988;Forbes et al 1994). Aggressive forms of nest defence are typically more common and more successful among monogamous, biparental incubators (Larsen 1991;Larsen et al 1996). We found the level of nest defence (i.e.…”

Section: Age-related Patterns In Shorebird Nest Survivalmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…We also predicted that shorebird nest survival would increase throughout the season, but as a result of intensification of nest defence. While both mechanisms predict a positive relationship, the latter also predicts an interaction between nest age and incubation system, as biparental species are more aggressive and more successful at defending their nests (Larsen 1991;Larsen et al 1996). Nest age and day of season can be difficult to separate when nests are initiated synchronously, but because we had a large sample of nests that were initiated across the season we included both variables in models.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Intraseasonal patterns in shorebird nest survival are related to nest age and defence behaviour

Smith

Wilson

2010

Oecologia

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Nest survival may vary throughout the breeding season for many bird species, and the nature of this temporal variation can reveal the links between birds, their predators, and other components of the ecosystem. We used program Mark to model patterns in nest survival within the breeding season for shorebirds nesting on arctic tundra. From 2000 to 2007, we monitored 521 nests of five shorebird species and found strong evidence for variation in nest survival within a nesting season. Daily nest survival was lowest in the mid-season in 5 of 8 years, but the timing and magnitude of the lows varied. We found no evidence that this quadratic time effect was driven by seasonal changes in weather or the abundance of predators. Contrary to our prediction, the risk of predation was not greatest when the number of active shorebird nests was highest. Although nest abundance reached a maximum near the middle of the breeding season, a daily index of shorebird nest activity was not supported as a predictor of nest survival in the models. Predators' access to other diet items, in addition to shorebird nests, may instead determine the temporal patterns of nest predation. Nest survival also displayed a positive, linear relationship with nest age; however, this effect was most pronounced among species with biparental incubation. Among biparental species, parents defended older nests with greater intensity. We did not detect a similar relationship among uniparental species, and conclude that the stronger relationship between nest age and both nest defence and nest survival for biparental species reflects that their nest defence is more effective.

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Section: Age-related Patterns In Shorebird Nest Survivalmentioning

confidence: 81%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraseasonal patterns in shorebird nest survival are related to nest age and defence behaviour

Smith

Wilson

2010

Oecologia

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“…Time spent by males in the alert or vigilanceposture was significantly higher before desertion than after, and males of biparentally-attended broods took greater risks by approaching a potential predator more closely during distraction displays, than did deserted males. Further studies are required to test other potential predation-related advantages of biparental care such as earlier detection or aggressive deterrence of predators (Larsen 1991).…”

Section: Cost Of Desertionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, single males may be less effective in protecting chicks from predators, e.g. they may spend less time in alert (vigilance) behaviour, they may attend chicks from further away, or they may take fewer risks in luring potential predators away from the chicks during distraction displays than in biparentally attended broods (Safriel 1975;Warriner et al 1986;Larsen 1991). Third, single males may provide an inferior feeding territory for the brood, in which case chicks in deserted broods should show reduced growth rates compared to those in biparental broods (Walters 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Costs and benefits of brood desertion in female kentish plovers, Charadrius alexandrinus

Székely

Williams

1995

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Female kentish plovers Charadrius alexandrinus typically desert their broods after the chicks hatch, i.e. 14 weeks before the chicks fledge or become independent. In this paper we investigate the costs and benefits of desertion for females. Desertion incurs a cost for females: following desertion chick survival in broods is lower (0.95 + 0.02 day -1) than before the female deserts (0.98 + 0.01 day-l). We investigated several possible causes for reduced brood survival by comparing characteristics of broods before and after desertion (controlling for differences in brood age). After desertion males increased the time they spent foraging and they tended to reduce time spent brooding chicks. Increased mortality of chicks may occur in deserted broods because following desertion (1) males spend less time alert in vigilance behaviour than before desertion, (2) they attend the chicks from greater distances, and (3) they show greater distraction display distances (in response to human intruders). Growth or development of chicks, measured by weight gain and tarsus length, was not different before and after desertion. Females gain two potential benefits from desertion: (1) they may remate and produce a second brood within the same breeding season or (2) they may enhance their probability of surviving to breed in a subsequent season. At least 27% of female kentish plovers that deserted remated and renested in the same season in this study. In contrast, we found no evidence that brood desertion increased the survival of females: there was no difference in local survival rate (return rate) for females deserting before or after 6 days brood age.These results clearly demonstrate that female kentish plovers that desert their offspring prior to fledging incur costs, but we suggest that there is a trade-off with the potential benefits gained by remating and making a second breeding attempt in the same season.

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“…A higher density of conspecifics and heterospecifics could result in more efficient anti‐predator defense. Aggressive nest defense is particularly common in large species as a consequence of a minimum size being necessary for successfully chasing away predators, and two cooperating vigilant parents are more efficient than one in defending nests (Larsen ). Here we tested for effects of density‐dependent anti‐predator behavior by conspecifics and heterospecifics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation and nutrients drive population declines in breeding waders

Møller

Thorup²,

Laursen

2018

Ecological Applications

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Allee effects are defined as a decline in per capita fitness at low population density. We hypothesized that predation reduces population size of breeding waders and thereby the efficiency of predator deterrence, while total nitrogen through its effects on primary and secondary productivity increases population size. Therefore, nest predation could have negative consequences for population size because nest failure generally results in breeding dispersal and hence reduced local population density. To test these predictions, we recorded nest predation in five species of waders for 4,745 nests during 1987-2015 at the nature reserve Tipperne, Denmark. Predation rates were generally negatively related to conspecific and heterospecific population density, but positively related to overall population density of the entire wader community. Nest predation and population density were related to ground water level, management (grazing and mowing), and nutrients. High nest predation with a time lag of one year resulted in low overall breeding population density, while high nutrient levels resulted in higher population density. These two factors accounted for 86% of the variance in population size, presumably due to effects of nest predation on emigration, while nutrient levels increased the level of vegetation cover and the abundance of food in the surrounding brackish water. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that predation may reduce population density through negative density dependence, while total nitrogen at adjacent shallow water may increase population size. Nest predation rates were reduced by high ground water level in March, grazing by cattle and mowing that affected access to and susceptibility of nests to predators. These effects can be managed to benefit breeding waders.

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Anti-predator behaviour and mating systems in waders: aggressive nest defence selects for monogamy

Cited by 46 publications

References 5 publications

Intraseasonal patterns in shorebird nest survival are related to nest age and defence behaviour

Intraseasonal patterns in shorebird nest survival are related to nest age and defence behaviour

Costs and benefits of brood desertion in female kentish plovers, Charadrius alexandrinus

Predation and nutrients drive population declines in breeding waders

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