‘Information parasitism’ in mixed colonies of western grebes and Forster's terns

Nuechterlein, Gary L.

doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(81)80051-6

Cited by 75 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Scaup were frequently found nesting in larid colonies. Ducks and other aquatic birds (e.g., grebes) apparently benefit from such associations because larids are effective at defending the nesting area against some types of predators (Koskimies, 1957;Hilden, 1964;Kistchinski and Flint, 1974;Newton and Campbell, 1975;Nuechterlein, 1981;Burger, 1984;Young and Titman, 1986;Burger and Gochfeld, 1995). However, such advantages might be offset by high duckling mortality when ducks nest among highly predatory larids, such as California gulls (Larus californicus) and herring gulls (Larus argentatus) (Vermeer, 1968;Dwernychuk and Boag, 1972).…”

Section: Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Breeding Ecology of Sympatric Greater and Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila and Aythya affinis) in the Subarctic Northwest Territories

Fournier¹,

Hines²

2001

ARCTIC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. We studied the breeding ecology of greater and lesser scaup on islands of the North Arm of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, and on the nearby mainland during 1990 -98. The occurrence of nests of both species on the North Arm islands was determined primarily by the distribution of nesting gulls and terns and secondarily by habitat features. Nest parasitism was frequent on the islands, but not on the mainland. Average clutch size was 8.99 ± 0.12 (n = 169) for greater scaup and 9.20 ± 0.17 (n = 93) for lesser scaup on the North Arm, and 8.71 ± 0.18 (n = 55) for lesser scaup on the mainland. No greater scaup nests were found on the mainland. Apparent nest success on the islands was higher (greater scaup 75%, n = 271; lesser scaup 77%, n = 158) than on the mainland (lesser scaup 37%, n = 59). Apparent egg success was 63% (n = 1485) for greater scaup and 67% (n = 934) for lesser scaup on the islands, and 40% (n = 435) for lesser scaup on the mainland. Hatchability of eggs was 98% (n = 556) for greater scaup and 94% (n = 416) for lesser scaup on islands, and 98% (n = 435) for lesser scaup on the mainland. Our findings, when compared to those of previous studies, do not indicate that either clutch size or egg hatchability has declined in recent years. Therefore, it seems unlikely that broad changes in these reproductive parameters are responsible for local or continental declines in lesser scaup populations. However, nest success on our mainland study area may have been too low to maintain the local population.Key words: Aythya affinis, Aythya marila, boreal forest, egg success, greater scaup, lesser scaup, hatchability, nest success, Northwest Territories, Subarctic RÉSUMÉ. De 1990 à 1998, on a étudié l'écologie de reproduction du fuligule milouinan et du petit fuligule sur des îles situées dans le Bras-Nord du Grand Lac des Esclaves (Territoires du Nord-Ouest) ainsi que sur la terre ferme avoisinante. La présence, dans les îles du Bras-Nord, de nids appartenant aux deux espèces était surtout déterminée par la distribution des mouettes et des sternes, et en second lieu par les caractéristiques de l'habitat. Le piratage des nids était fréquent sur les îles, mais pas sur la terre ferme. La taille moyenne des couvées était de 8,99 ± 0,12 (n = 169) pour le fuligule milouinan et de 9,20 ± 0,17 (n = 93) pour le petit fuligule dans le Bras-Nord, et de 8,71 ± 0,18 (n = 55) pour le petit fuligule sur la terre ferme. On n'a pas trouvé de nids de fuligule milouinan sur la terre ferme. Le succès apparent de la nidification sur les îles était plus grand (fuligule milouinan: 75 p. cent, n = 271; petit fuligule: 77 p. cent, n = 158) que sur la terre ferme (petit fuligule: 37 p. cent, n = 59). Le succès apparent de la ponte était de 63 p. cent (n = 1485) pour le fuligule milouinan et de 67 p. cent (n = 934) pour le petit fuligule sur les îles, et de 40 p. cent (n = 435) pour le petit fuligule sur la terre ferme. L'éclosabilité était de 98 p. cent (n = 556) pour le fuligule milouinan et de 94 p. cent (n = 416) pour le...

show abstract

Section: Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Breeding Ecology of Sympatric Greater and Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila and Aythya affinis) in the Subarctic Northwest Territories

Fournier¹,

Hines²

2001

ARCTIC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Interspecific eavesdropping on alarm calls occurs in most vertebrate taxa, including reptiles [1,2], birds [3][4][5][6][7] and mammals [8][9][10]. As well as increasing the likelihood that predators are detected, heterospecific alarm calls can provide early warnings of danger [3,11,12] and information complementing that conveyed by conspecific calls [12,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alarming features: birds use specific acoustic properties to identify heterospecific alarm calls

2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Vertebrates that eavesdrop on heterospecific alarm calls must distinguish alarms from sounds that can safely be ignored, but the mechanisms for identifying heterospecific alarm calls are poorly understood. While vertebrates learn to identify heterospecific alarms through experience, some can also respond to unfamiliar alarm calls that are acoustically similar to conspecific alarm calls. We used synthetic calls to test the role of specific acoustic properties in alarm call identification by superb fairy-wrens, Malurus cyaneus. Individuals fled more often in response to synthetic calls with peak frequencies closer to those of conspecific calls, even if other acoustic features were dissimilar to that of fairy-wren calls. Further, they then spent more time in cover following calls that had both peak frequencies and frequency modulation rates closer to natural fairy-wren means. Thus, fairy-wrens use similarity in specific acoustic properties to identify alarms and adjust a two-stage antipredator response. Our study reveals how birds respond to heterospecific alarm calls without experience, and, together with previous work using playback of natural calls, shows that both acoustic similarity and learning are important for interspecific eavesdropping. More generally, this study reconciles contrasting views on the importance of alarm signal structure and learning in recognition of heterospecific alarms.

show abstract

“…In birds, alarm calls of black-capped chickadees and tufted titmice (Parus bicolor) lead to an increase in vigilance in downy woodpeckers (Picoides pubescensSullivan 1984) and western grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) eavesdropped on the alarm calls of Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri -Nuechterlein 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A possible phylogenetically conserved urgency response of great tits (Parus major) towards allopatric mobbing calls

Randler

2012

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Black-capped chickadees Poecile atricapillus alter the number of D notes of their chick-a-dee call to reflect urgency and threat. Here, I tested whether heterospecific responses of an allopatric species to these mobbing calls occur. Heterospecific chickadee mobbing calls and songs from North America were broadcast to European great tits (Parus major) and compared with conspecific mobbing calls. During conspecific mobbing playbacks, all great tits approached the speaker, during the heterospecific "chick-a-dee" playbacks, 63.3% individuals approached the speaker, while during the song playback, only 31.3% of the great tits approached the speaker. Minimum distances of great tits were lower during conspecific mobbing calls compared to allopatric chick-a-dee calls and to allopatric chickadee song. Also, minimum distances were lower when comparing allopatric chick-a-dee calls and chickadee song. Great tits approached the speaker on average down to (mean ± SE) 20.0±1.8 m during playbacks of 1-4 D elements, to 17.7 ± 2.0 m during playbacks of 5-7 D elements and down to 11.5±2.0 m during playbacks of 8-11 D elements. The number of D notes was inversely related to minimum distance. Thus, the urgency message encoded in the D notes was perceived also by an allopatric but phylogenetically related European species, suggesting that the heterospecific response is possibly phylogenetically conserved.

show abstract

‘Information parasitism’ in mixed colonies of western grebes and Forster's terns

Cited by 75 publications

References 13 publications

Breeding Ecology of Sympatric Greater and Lesser Scaup (<i>Aythya marila</i> and <i>Aythya affinis</i>) in the Subarctic Northwest Territories

Breeding Ecology of Sympatric Greater and Lesser Scaup (<i>Aythya marila</i> and <i>Aythya affinis</i>) in the Subarctic Northwest Territories

Alarming features: birds use specific acoustic properties to identify heterospecific alarm calls

A possible phylogenetically conserved urgency response of great tits (Parus major) towards allopatric mobbing calls

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About