Breeding consequences for a songbird nesting in Argentine ant’ invaded land

Abstract

The consequences of ant invasions on ecosystems may only become apparent after long periods. In addition, predicting how sensitive native fauna will respond is only possible if the underlying proximate mechanisms of their impact are identified. We studied the attraction of the native and invasive ant community to artificial bird nests. Further, we studied reproduction of a wild native songbird over five consecutive breeding seasons in relation to the presence of an invasive ant species. We analysed biometric, reproductive and individual blood parameters of great tits Parus major breeding in invaded as compared to uninvaded sites by Argentine ants Linepithema humile . Great tits bred preferably in uninvaded territories by the Argentine ant. Moreover, Argentine ants were more abundant at nests in invaded sites, than any native ant species were at uninvaded sites. Further, Argentine ants recruited at the artificial nests more intensively and responded to a larger variety of nest contents than native species. Although breeding success and adult condition did not vary in relation to invasion status, offspring quality was negatively affected by the presence of Argentine ants. Nestlings reared in invaded sites were lighter, with lower wing/tarsus length ratio and had a reduced nutritional condition and altered oxidative stress balance as measured from several blood parameters. The interspersed distribution and small distance between invaded vs. uninvaded territories suggest that ant presence affects nestling condition through direct interference at the nest. Our results highlight Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporationthe importance of evaluating the proximate effects like physiological parameters of the native fauna, when studying invasive ant-native bird interactions. Response to Reviewers:Reviewer #1: This is an excellent manuscript that deserves to be published. Congratulations on producing a fine scientific work! Response: Thank you very much. I recommend that you include a paragraph somewhere in the Introduction or Methods section that summarizes the native range and introduced range of the Argentine Ant and the native range of the Great Tit. This paragraph should also tell when the Argentine Ant was first introduced into Spain and what date it invaded the Doñana Biological Reserve. Because most of the readers of this journal study alien invasive species and biological invasions, they will want to know such information and it will help them to quickly orientate themselves to the species and the concepts studied. I realize that a few readers already know this information, but I would guess that many do not. Remember, Biological Invasions is a global journal with readers around the world, many living in areas where the Argentine Ant or Great Tit, or both species, do not occur.Response. We have now restructured the last two paragraphs of the introduction to address this issue (Ln 99-109, 110-122), following both reviewers' advice.Reviewer #2: Overall, this study will be of ...

Consequences of arthropod community structure for an at-risk insectivorous bird

“…Although L. humile is generally linked to loss of native arthropod populations in Coastal Sage Scrub habitat [75][76][77], within the territories we studied-all of which were invaded-we did not detect an association between variance in L. humile and prey abundance or composition. While L. humile can attack and harass nestlings [46] and has otherwise been observed to affect bird performance [78], the effect on date of first egg laying-our performance metric-cannot be explained by such dynamics unless adults perceived higher L. humile densities as being indicative of poor habitat quality and delayed egg laying. There was a strong positive association between L. humile and A. vulgare on the ground, and it is thus possible that some component of the negative effect of L. humile was mediated by their facilitating A. vulgare.…”

The nightjar and the ant: Intercontinental migration reveals a cryptic interaction

“…There is ample literature documenting antagonistic ant‐bird interactions, primarily in the form of bird predation on ants (reviewed in Avilés, 2024 ). There are also studies reporting negative effects of ants on aspects such as bird abundance, behaviour and reproduction, primarily through predation on eggs and chicks (Álvarez‐Blanco et al., 2020 ; Davis et al., 2008 ; Haemig., 1999 ). However, assessing the impact of ants on more mobile segments of a population (e.g.…”

The evolutionary ecology of bird–ant interactions: a pervasive but under-studied connection

“…Ants and birds are enormously abundant and species-rich taxa in the same communities [ 6 ], and therefore likely to encounter each other or share key resources. Indeed, some studies have shown that both birds and ants can act as predators in bird–ant interactions [ 7 , 8 ]. In addition, empirical work has reported a maintenance ‘anting behaviour’ during which birds rub ants on their feathers and skin [ 9 ].…”