Colonial breeding and nest predation in the Jackdaw Corvus monedula using old Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius holes

Abstract

Jackdaws Corvus monedula breeding in old holes of the Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius were studied during 6 years in central Sweden. Of 131 breeding attempts, only 56% were successful. Nest predation caused 74% of the breeding failures. The most common predator was probably the Pine Marten Mattes mattes, as fresh hair was found in 42% of the nests whose contents had been predated. Predation risk of nest contents was not related to the height above ground, but it was significantly reduced with increasing colony size. Since Jackdaws are known to communally defend their nests, a likely explanation is that the Jackdaw benefits from group defence against predators. During the study, the number of breeding Jackdaw pairs in Black Woodpecker holes declined, probably linked with a recent increase in the numbers of Pine Martens in the area.

Linking anti-predator behaviour and habitat quality: group effect in nest defence of a passerine bird

“…Studies have shown that, outside the breeding season, reducing the area of a high-quality patch significantly reduces the size of heterospecific foraging groups (Beauchamp 2008;Siffczyk et al 2003), which decreases the probability of an approaching predator being detected (Beauchamp 2008;Griesser 2009). During the reproductive season, breeding success may increase with the number of close neighbours including heterospecifics (Alatalo and Lundberg 1984;Berg et al 1992;Fuchs 1977;Haas 1985;Johnsson 1994;Patterson 1965;Wiklund and Andersson 1994), which, in turn, is higher in high-quality habitats. In some bird species, there is a strong association between egg and nestling survival in groups as opposed to nesting alone (Götmark and Andersson 1984).…”

Numbers, distribution and nest site characteristics of Jackdaw Corvus monedula in Slovenia and its conservation status

“…Based on these assumptions we can infer that favourable conditions for treenesting are indeed found only in hilly regions of NE Slovenia like Slovenske gorice and Goričko, where the majority of forest-nesting pairs was recorded. Here, open agricultural areas interspersed with small beechforest islands form mosaic-like countryside with a total forest area of c. 30% (Perko & Orožen Adamič 1999), corresponding to descriptions of habitat in different regions of Europe with prevailing tree-nesters (Johnsson 1994, Samwald 1996, Rudolph 2000.…”

“…Lorenz 1931, Röel 1978, Schwab et al 2008, Davidson et al 2014, Kubitza et al 2015. Also, many studies of breeding biology, nest site selection, breeding and foraging habitat characteristics and predation were carried out throughout Europe (Antikainen 1980, 1987, Johnsson 1994, Soler & Soler 1993, Biondo 1998, Salvati 2002a, Unger & Peter 2002, Arnold & Griffiths 2003. Jackdaw is unique within genus Corvus by nesting in cavities, either natural or manmade.…”

Effect of Japanese lesser sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis on the nest site selection of azure‐winged magpies Cyanopica cyana through their nest defending behavior

“…Nest predation is a major cause of nesting failure in birds (Ricklefs 1969, Martin 1993). Many bird species have tactics to avoid nest predation, such as selecting well‐protected nest sites (Martin and Roper 1988, Kelly 1993, Whittingham et al 2002), or by defending nests vigorously (Larsen 1991, Johnsson 1994). Among the traits that probably evolved under the pressure of nest predation is the nesting of ‘timid’ bird species close to ‘aggressive’ raptor species: the ‘timid’ bird reduces the rate of predation of its nests because of the raptor's defense of its own nearby nest (Wiklund 1982, Blanco and Tella 1997, Bogliani et al 1999, Quinn and Kokorev 2002, Quinn et al 2003).…”