Coloniality and Breeding Biology of Purple Martins (Progne subis hesperia) in Saguaro Cacti

Stutchbury, Bridget J. M.

doi:10.2307/1368198

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Likely not an obligate shift, it also provided the species with the derived benefits of an aggregation of cavities; most importantly, increased opportunities for extra‐pair copulations, which may benefit the species in many ways (Morton , Morton et al , Wagner et al , Eliassen and Jørgensen ). This also included promotion of cooperative behavior in males in defense of a larger territory for the good of a “neighborhood” (Eliassen and Jørgensen ; P. s. hesperia , Stutchbury ) and maximizing lifetime reproductive success of this single‐brooded species (Morton et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest survival data confirm managed housing is an important component to the conservation of the eastern purple martin

Raleigh

Ray²,

Grisham

et al. 2019

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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The purple martin (Progne subis) is entrenched in a consistent, long-term decline. This is especially true for the subspecies east of the Rocky Mountains (P. s. subis), which today nests almost exclusively in provisioned housing (birdhouses and hollow gourds) provided by citizen scientists. One benefit of provisioned housing is reduced nest-site competition with nonnative European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) when managed by citizen scientists. Increased competition for nest sites and subsequently lower productivity due to declining management of available housing is speculated to be primary factors for their long-term declines. To assess whether managed housing promoted high nestsurvival metrics, we used a 19-year database (1995-2013) of nest-check records provided by Project MartinWatch, a citizen science program of the Purple Martin Conservation Association. We compared nest ecology metrics and survival among housing and entrance-hole type to assess if specific provisioned housing or entrance-hole type increased clutch size or number of chicks fledged. Using 72,627 nests across 8 regions monitored by citizen scientists, our major findings were 1) nest survival was >85% among 8 regions in the eastern United States and Canada; and 2) clutch size and number of fledglings produced were slightly larger in natural and artificial gourds with entrances designed to exclude European starlings; but 3) housing and entrance-hole types were not important predictors of nest survival and clutch size had a small, inverse relationship with daily nest survival (b Clutch ¼ À0.002). Our results suggest managed housing is an important conservation tool based on previously undocumented high nest survival across the numerous artificial housing options. Our findings encourage the use of artificial and natural gourds with European starling-resistant entrance holes, but promotion of managed artificial housing of any type in North America is beneficial and strongly encouraged. Ó

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest survival data confirm managed housing is an important component to the conservation of the eastern purple martin

Raleigh

Ray²,

Grisham

et al. 2019

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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“…I conducted plumage manipulation experiments on nonterritorial subadult males at UOBS from mid-April through early May, 1989 and1990, which is the period of territory establishment for this age class (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bright coloration could be a signal of high motivation to fight rather than actual fighting ability (Studd and Robertson 1985b;Stutchbury 1990). Territory owners can avoid the time and energy costs of a prolonged contest over a relatively low value resource (extra cavity) by assessing whether the intruder is likely to invest much energy and time in competing for that resource.…”

Section: Summer Adaptation Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The adaptive significance of male subadult plumage in purple martins: plumage dyeing experiments

Stutchbury

1991

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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I tested two hypotheses for the adaptive significance of subadult plumage in male purple martins (Progne subis): the female mimicry and subordinance signaling hypotheses. Subadult males were at a competitive disadvantage in obtaining territories, as they arrived later in the spring than adult males. Contrary to the predictions of both hypotheses, adult male territory owners were not less aggressive toward subadult male than adult male intruders. The subadult plumage was not effective in mimicking females, as adult male owners were significantly more aggressive toward subadult male than female intruders. Summer adaptation hypotheses predict that young males in subadult plumage are more successful in acquiring territories and mates than they would be with an adult plumage. I tested this prediction by dyeing the plumage of "floater" subadult males to mimic the appearance of adult males. In 13/17 paired experiments, dyed subadults obtained territories before control subadults. There was no difference in the time it took dyed and control males to attract a mate after they obtained a territory. These results suggest that the subadult plumage is not an advantage to young males in competing with adult males for breeding resources. In late winter, subadult males were growing mostly femalelike feathers on their underside, suggesting that the subadult plumage is not the result of a molt constraint. The subadult plumage could enhance survival of yearlings in winter roosts if it improves access to good roost sites or reduces the risk of predation.

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“…Mannan and Bibles (1989) studied the impact of non-native species on native cavity-nesting species. Single species studies have included the purple martin (Stutchbury 1991) and elf owl (Bob Steidl, unpubl. data).…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain District

Halvorson¹,

Schmidt²,

Powell³

2007

Open-File Report

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at the UA Herbarium; Tom Huels of the UA ornithology collection; George Bradley of the UA herpetology collection; and Yar Petryszyn and Melanie Bucci of the UA mammal collection. Thanks to Sharon Megdal and Peter Wierenga, the current and former directors, respectively, of the UA Water Resources Research Center, and all their staff. Thanks to Mau-Crimmins et al. (2005) and Sprouse et al. (2002) for use of their background information on the district and Aaron Flesch (Flesch 2001) for use of some of his discussion in the mammal chapter. We received many excellent comments on the amphibian and reptile chapter from

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Coloniality and Breeding Biology of Purple Martins (Progne subis hesperia) in Saguaro Cacti

Cited by 12 publications

References 49 publications

Nest survival data confirm managed housing is an important component to the conservation of the eastern purple martin

Nest survival data confirm managed housing is an important component to the conservation of the eastern purple martin

The adaptive significance of male subadult plumage in purple martins: plumage dyeing experiments

Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain District

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