Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) increasingly select for grazed areas with increasing distance-to-nest

Fox, Anthony D.; Thellesen, Peder V.; Dalby, Lars; Sunde, Peter

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182504

Cited by 16 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Specifically, we recommend that the effigy be placed inside nest boxes. In addition, we suggest that researchers consider the potential for enhancing perceived nest predation risk (Eggers et al 2006) to starlings in foraging areas within 100 m of nest boxes (Heldbjerg et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator scent and visual cue applied to nest boxes fail to dissuade European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) from nesting

Blackwell

Seamans

Pfeiffer

et al. 2020

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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Indirect predator cues have been shown to enhance perceived nest predation risk in both open-cup and cavity-nesting birds. We hypothesized that scent from the raccoon (Procyon lotor) inside nest boxes, supplemented with raccoon hair as a visual cue on the outside of the box, would enhance perceived risk to the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), resulting in reduced use of treated nest boxes and negative effects on reproduction. The starling is recognized, outside its native range, as a competitor with indigenous cavity nesters and a pest species, and efforts to deter its nesting have generally been unsuccessful. Our objectives were to examine nest initiation, clutch development, and hatching success by starlings relative to 4 nest box treatments. Starlings selected from nest boxes treated with a novel visual cue at the entry hole, predator scent inside the nest box and supplemented with a predator visual cue at the entry hole, the predator visual cue, or a novel odor inside the box and supplemented with the novel visual cue at the entry hole (n ¼ 120 boxes; n ¼ 30 per treatment). Starlings established nest bowls in 65% of nest boxes (novel visual cue ¼ 21 boxes, predator scent/predator visual cue ¼ 19 boxes, predator visual cue ¼ 17 boxes, novel odor/novel visual cue ¼ 21 boxes); clutches (!1 egg) were laid in 80 boxes, but 2 boxes contained a single egg with no nest. We observed no effects of treatment on likelihood of starlings laying a clutch, date of first egg, clutch size, or hatchling number. We conclude that raccoon scent inside nest boxes, supplemented by raccoon hair as a visual cue, failed to enhance perceived risk to starlings such that nesting was deterred. We suggest that direct or indirect experience with nest predation attempts (which enhance perceived risk) and the starling's plasticity in antipredator responses are key hurdles in development of an efficacious nesting deterrent. Therefore, we encourage the evaluation of direct predation risk via use of predator effigies on or in nest boxes, as well as in foraging areas proximate to nest boxes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator scent and visual cue applied to nest boxes fail to dissuade European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) from nesting

Blackwell

Seamans

Pfeiffer

et al. 2020

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology

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“…The latter are typically species that breed near or at the farmyard (e.g. Hirundo rustica , Delichon urbicum , Sturnus vulgaris , Passer montanus ) and forage in the nearby farmland fields [38]. These species may more readily take advantage of the boosted invertebrate abundance at organic animal farms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic animal farms increase farmland bird abundance in the Boreal region

et al. 2019

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Agriculture is a primary driver of biodiversity loss worldwide, and several expensive schemes have been designed to make modern farming landscapes more hospitable for wildlife. One such market-based mechanisms is the agri-environment-climate schemes (AES) in the European Union (EU). AES compensate farmers for reducing land-use intensity and maintaining or introducing biodiversity-rich habitats. Despite their high costs, impacts of AES vary by measure, region and taxonomic group considered, and have rarely been studied over large areas covering an entire country. Here we assess the country-wide impact of several AES measures on bird abundance using citizen science data on birds and detailed information on AES take up from across Finland. We report a positive impact of organic animal farming on abundance of all farmland associated birds. This effect was particularly strong for insectivorous species, species that are associated to farmyards and long-distance species. None of the other AES measures considered for study did show any relationship with bird abundance. Overall, these findings highlight the potential positive impact that some compensatory measures, such as organic animal farming, may have on wildlife. Traditional animal husbandry is based on grazing of animals and restriction on external inputs, similarly to what is stipulated under organic production contract. As such, traditional animal husbandry may represent an effective landscape management tool for restoring or maintaining threatened species and ecosystems in rural areas of the EU. Ultimately, the apparent lack of a measurable effect of the other AES considered here supports the current move towards evidence-based regional targeting of compensatory measures, so as to concentrate scarce resources to where they can yield the highest ecological benefits.

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“…The full model (structured relative to the predictions) included number of neighboring occupied starling nest boxes, distance from buildings, and the total plot score as fixed effects. A model composed of distance from building as the sole fixed effect (because of the importance of mowed lawns kept around the buildings; Aitken and Martin 2004;Heldbjerg et al 2017), as well as an intercept-only model, were also evaluated. No other variable combinations were evaluated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, cavity preferences can differ regionally based on availability (pest invasion, excavator species, etc. ), but grassland edges likely harbor preferred invertebrate prey regardless of geographical location (Aitken and Martin 2004;Heldbjerg et al 2017).…”

Section: Index For Potentially Suitable Tree Cavitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape Factors that Influence European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Nest Box Occupancy at NASA Plum Brook Station (PBS), Erie County, Ohio, USA

Pfeiffer¹,

Seamans²,

Buckingham³

et al. 2019

OJS

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During the last decade at NASA Plum Brook Station (PBS), Erie County, Ohio, United States, there has been a nearly 50% decrease in European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) occupancy (nests with ≥1 egg) of nest boxes designed to be used by starlings. Increased availability of natural cavities, from invertebrate pests, might have altered nest box occupation rates. It was hypothesized that starling nest box occupation rates would be a function of an index of potentially suitable tree cavities for nesting starlings, the semi-colonial nature of breeding starlings, and access to foraging areas (e.g., mowed lawns near buildings). Specifically, it was predicted that starling occupancy of nest boxes would correlate positively with a low density of potentially suitable tree cavities (calculated from a constructed index based on characteristics preferred by nesting starlings), and proximity of other starling occupied nest boxes and anthropogenic structures or mowed lawns. The objective was to quantify landscape factors around nest boxes with known starling occupation rates. Potentially suitable tree cavities were readily available near nest boxes. However, starling nest box occupation was instead a function of proximity to buildings, a factor associated with additional nesting sites and preferred foraging areas (mowed lawns). Nesting starlings in this study were influenced by anthropogenic structures and associated resources.

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Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) increasingly select for grazed areas with increasing distance-to-nest

Cited by 16 publications

References 34 publications

Predator scent and visual cue applied to nest boxes fail to dissuade European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) from nesting

Predator scent and visual cue applied to nest boxes fail to dissuade European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) from nesting

Organic animal farms increase farmland bird abundance in the Boreal region

Landscape Factors that Influence European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Nest Box Occupancy at NASA Plum Brook Station (PBS), Erie County, Ohio, USA

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