Land-use correlates of breeding performance and diet in Tree Sparrows<i>Passer montanus</i>

Field, Ray; Anderson, Guy Q.A.; Gruar, Derek J.

doi:10.1080/00063650809461533

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…, Field et al. ). Up to 99% of the nestling food can be invertebrates, particularly insects (Folk and Pellantová , Orszaghova et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, our observations of their feeding behavior indicated that Tree Sparrows are among the most important predators of arthropod communities in cereal fields. Dietary components of Tree Sparrows exhibit a wide range of food types used by these generalist birds (e.g., Wieloch 1975, Folk and Pellantov a 1985, T€ or€ ok 1990, Orszaghova et al 2002, Field et al 2008. Up to 99% of the nestling food can be invertebrates, particularly insects (Folk andPellantov a 1985, Orszaghova et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Insectivorous birds disrupt biological control of cereal aphids

Graß

Lehmann

Thies

et al. 2017

Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Insect-feeding birds may interfere with trophic interactions in plant-insect food webs, which may be particularly important in agroecosystems. Here, we studied how Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) affect aphids and their predators in cereal fields using bird exclusion experiments. The Tree Sparrows fed their nestlings with aphid antagonists. Hoverflies and ladybird beetles accounted for 77% of the food for the nestlings during peak aphid density. When birds were excluded, densities of hoverfly larvae, which were the most abundant aphid predator group in the cereals, were 4% higher in wheat and 45% higher in oat, while aphid densities were 24% lower in wheat and 26% lower in oat. The demonstrated disruption of biological control by mesopredators through bird predation may be a common phenomenon in cropping systems characterized by small-sized and abundant pest species. Management of biotic interactions such as biological control needs a broad food-web perspective, even in simplified agroecosystems.

show abstract

“…, Field et al. ). Up to 99% of the nestling food can be invertebrates, particularly insects (Folk and Pellantová , Orszaghova et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insectivorous birds disrupt biological control of cereal aphids

Graß

Lehmann

Thies

et al. 2017

Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This species feeds mainly on wild plant seeds but shifts to insects when raising its nestlings. Dietary insects include dipterans, coleopteran adults and larvae and larval lepidopterans [62, 63]. Mangroves not only produce pollen and nectar [64] but also harbor various invertebrates, including insects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape structured by physical settings and benthic polychaete and avifauna habitat uses in a mangrove-vegetated estuary

Shih

Ding

Chen

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

2 15 Abstract 16 Mangrove expansion monopolizes estuarine landscapes by diminishing habitat diversity and 17 hence biodiversity. Physical landcover types, including mangrove vegetation, influence polychaete 18 and avifauna habitat uses. The connections between the physical to biota-associated landscapes 19 warrant investigation. We determine how to best describe the landscape in a mangrove-vegetated 20 wetland according to the physical, polychaete and bird domains and identify what physical 21 attributes would affect the biota-associated landscapes. Differences among the physical and biota-22 associated landscapes were evaluated using multivariate ordination analyses. Six physical 23 landcover types were aligned along elevation, inundation and sedimentary gradients. The 24 polychaete-associated landscape was structured by three landcover types, mainly mangroves and 25 tidal flats with intermediate and high inundation. Deposit-feeding spionid and nereid, carnivorous 26 goniadid and suspension-feeding sabellid polychaetes depended on the different landcover types. 27 Shorebirds occurred distinctively in tidal flats with large, open surface areas. Egrets characterized 28 tidal flats and mangroves, and foliage and ground gleaners characterized mangroves. Open tidal 29 flats are crucial to polychaetes, which are the main prey of shorebirds and are also important to 30 egret foraging. Our results suggest that effective management strategies for conserving these 31 migratory birds require the maintenance of open tidal flats in the landscape. 32 33 Keywords: Landcover types; Physical setting; Biota-coupled landscape; Polychaete assemblage; 34 Bird assemblage 3 35 Introduction 36 Essential components of a healthy mangrove ecosystem include mud and sand flats, tidal 37 waterways, shallow water areas and circulating waters in addition to mangrove stands [1, 2]. These 38 mosaic and interconnected landcover types make mangrove ecosystems varied in terms of 39 landscape function and the production of both terrestrial and aquatic organisms [3-5]. Furthermore, 40 mangrove ecosystems are also among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth due primarily to 41 the devastating effects of anthropogenic activities [6, 7] and natural disturbance [8]. Assessments 42 of the relationships between the supplies provided by mangroves and demand from human society 43 have demonstrated intimate bottom-up and top-down connections between the functions of 44 mangrove ecosystems and the services they offer to human wellbeing [9]. When considering 45 mangrove trees alone, they compose a simple ecosystem with limited vegetation niches and low 46 bird species richness [10, 11]. At the landscape level, however, landscape heterogeneity within 47 both mangrove ecosystems and their surroundings is crucial in characterizing mangrove-dependent 48 bird assemblages [11-13]. Mangroves have been found to have both positive and negative roles in 49 ecosystems. For example, as they act as both foundation species and ecosystem engineering 50 species, mangroves ca...

show abstract

“…For instance, breeding success for the third broods was lower in comparison with that of the preceding breeding attempts, which may reflect worsening conditions at the end of the season. In this regard, previous studies on diet composition of nestling Tree Sparrows noted that Lepidoptera larvae constitute their main food source during April and May whereas diverse invertebrates (aphids, coleopterans, orthopterans and dipterans) and vegetable material compose the bulk of the diet during the summer period (Veiga 1990, Anderson et al 2002, Field et al 2008. Thus, for half of the season Tree Sparrows would benefit from the caterpillar peak, which usually occurs in May.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tree Sparrows are multi-brooded, with an extended breeding season, and the chicks are fed by both parents with a wide range of invertebrate species including caterpillars, beetles and spiders (e.g. Field et al 2008). One characteristic of Tree Sparrows is their fickle nature; this species is known to suddenly appear at a site, form large colonies and then, suddenly dissapear again quickly (Summer-Smith 1995).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Yearly and Seasonal Variation of Breeding Parameters in a Declining Multi-Brooded Passerine, the Tree Sparrow

García‐Navas

Sanz

2012

Ardea

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A correct timing of breeding is crucial to any bird species. Single-brooded species are adapted to time breeding so that their nestlings are in the nest when food is most plentiful (Lack 1954). In contrast, species that breed more than once per season seem to opt for a different tactic, by maximizing the number of annual broods. In this regard, Lack (1954) suggested that multi-brooded species should lay as soon as conditions permit. This notion was refined by Crick et al. (1993) who argued that multi-brooded species should start laying before the optimal clutch size is largest. Following this reasoning, there should be an increase followed by a decrease in clutch size through the season (Crick et al. 1993). Thus, multi-brooded species seem to opt for a 'quantity over quality' strategy. That is, seasonal productivity of multi-brooded species not only depends on the productivity of each breeding attempt, but also on the number of broods that parents can raise (Crick et al. 1993, Soler et al. 1995, Weggler 2006. It is clear, therefore, that single and multiple breeders differ in their strategies for maximizing fitness (Stearns 1992).Concerning multiple breeders, they must decide how to allocate their reproductive investment between successive breeding attempts (e.g. Robinson et al. 2010). This aspect is interesting because it allows us to obtain valuable information for discerning general (annual) trends on the basis of the outcome of each of Over a five-year period we monitored breeding parameters in a colony of Tree Sparrows Passer montanus in central Spain. This multi-brooded species can raise one to three broods per season. In this study, we analyzed inter-brood variation in reproductive success to infer the existence of seasonal patterns. We also explored inter-annual variation of life-history traits, which is of particular interest in a declining species like the Tree Sparrow. In agreement with our expectation of a multi-brooded species, clutch size showed a quadratic relationship with laying date. We found that the inter-brood interval varied significantly depending on the number of breeding attempts, which suggests that the species may engage in time-saving behaviours as reported for other multibrooded passerines. Nestlings from second broods fledged in better condition than nestlings from first and third broods. Fewer fledglings were produced in third broods than in preceding breeding attempts. The reproductive output of third broods varied to a large extent among years, whereas inter-annual variation was much less marked in first and second broods. Over the years, we also detected a decrease in nestling size (tarsus and wing length), which was consistent among breeding attempts. Finally, the productivity of the colony remained fairly stable over the study period. This pattern contrasts with negative population trends detected by national monitoring programmes. The proximity of wetland habitats in the surroundings of our colony -essential for adequate invertebrates for the chicks -is suggested as a main re...

show abstract

Land-use correlates of breeding performance and diet in Tree SparrowsPasser montanus

Cited by 15 publications

References 0 publications

Insectivorous birds disrupt biological control of cereal aphids

Insectivorous birds disrupt biological control of cereal aphids

Landscape structured by physical settings and benthic polychaete and avifauna habitat uses in a mangrove-vegetated estuary

Yearly and Seasonal Variation of Breeding Parameters in a Declining Multi-Brooded Passerine, the Tree Sparrow

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About