Social partners and temperature jointly affect morning foraging activity of small birds in winter

Madsen, Anastasia E.; Meiden, Laura N Vander; Shizuka, Daizaburo

doi:10.1093/beheco/araa134

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This is exemplified by recent studies of heterospecific associations of two parid species in Wytham Woods (Farine et al 2012, Farine et al 2015). Use of RFID feeder arrays in conjunction with automated weighing devices, video cameras, weather stations, or sound recording devices (among other technologies), provides further potential to link changes in behavior to changes in patterns of association, condition, or environment (Bonter and Bridge 2011, Madsen et al 2021). However, the use of RFID-based systems, which rely on drawing birds to resource patches where they can be monitored, may not be appropriate for asking questions about behaviors away from foraging sites or for studying species that are not drawn to artificial feeders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying individual-level interactions can transform our understanding of avian mixed-species flocks

2023

Self Cite

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Avian mixed-species flocks are ubiquitous across habitats and a model for studying how heterospecific sociality influences the behavior and composition of animal communities. Here, we review the literature on mixed-species flocks and argue that a renewed focus on individual-level interactions among flock members can transform our understanding of this iconic, avian social system. Specifically, we suggest that an individual perspective will further our understanding of (1) how inter- and intraspecific variation in flock participation links to fitness costs and benefits, (2) the implications of familiarity between individuals in structuring mixed-species flock communities, and (3) how social roles within mixed-species flocks are related to social behavior within and across species. We summarize studies that use an individual perspective in each of these areas and discuss knowledge from conspecific social behavior to posit more broadly how individuals may shape mixed-species flocks. We encourage research approaches that incorporate individual variation in traits, relationships, and social roles in their assessment of mixed-species flocking dynamics. We propose that the analysis of individual variation in behavior will be particularly important for explicitly identifying fitness outcomes that led to the evolution of mixed-species flocks, which in turn affect community structure and resilience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying individual-level interactions can transform our understanding of avian mixed-species flocks

2023

Self Cite

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“…It is not a surprise that weather conditions are related with the feeding activity of birds, but several factors enter into the play at one time and this issue remains strongly disputed in the literature (Grubb, 1975 , 1978 ; Madsen et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Landscape of Fear as a Safety Eco-Field: Experimental Evidence

Farina

James

2023

Biosemiotics

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In a development of the ecosemiotic vivo-scape concept, a ‘safety eco-field’ is proposed as a model of a species response to the safety of its environment. The safety eco-field is based on the ecosemiotic approach which considers environmental safety as a resource sought and chosen by individuals to counter predatory pressure. To test the relative safety of different locations within a landscape, 66 bird feeders (BF) were deployed in a regular 15 × 15 m grid in a rural area, surrounded by shrubs, small trees, hedgerows, and buildings. On each of 48 days in November 2021 and February and March 2022, dried mealworms were placed on each BF and counts of larvae at each BF were made at noon and dusk. The European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ) and the great tit ( Parus major ) were the most regular visitors to the BFs. Land cover at each BF was recorded. Bird behaviour at the BFs was noted from direct video recordings of the birds at nine selected BFs, totalling 32 daily sessions in March. The different behaviours of the European robin and the great tit were observable. The safety eco-field changed according to the month and the time of day. The distance of the BF from the woodland edges seemed to be important only in the morning. In the afternoon, BFs that were more distant from the woodland edges received the highest number of visits. Weather conditions were found to influence the number of mealworms removed, but this requires further investigation. A significant relationship between land cover and the number of mealworm larvae removed from the BFs was observed. Within the grid of BF, three regions were distinguishable which were related to land cover in the safety eco-field process. The experimental framework confirms the adequacy, at least for birds that have cryptic predators, to map the landscape as a proxy of safety resource. From the video recordings it was noted that the European robin visits were distributed throughout the day without apparent temporal preferences, while the great tit visits were concentrated in the central part of the day. This result has the limitation of the short period of observation (March) and should be extended to the entire period of the experiment to eventually capture seasonal variation. The experimental evidence obtained confirms that the ecosemiotic-based models of safety eco-field are an efficient approach to explain bird feeding preferences and behaviours. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12304-023-09522-1.

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“…For Grasshopper Sparrows ( Ammodramus savannarum ) in West Texas, winter survival rate increases by 26% for every 1°C increase in minimum temperature 6 , suggesting that local minimum temperature may be a critical determinant of survival during severe winter cold events, especially for small birds. In addition to weather, flock dynamics may be an important contributor to local wintertime foraging patterns 7 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radar Indications of Altered Foraging Behavior during the February 2021 Severe North American Cold Wave

Broeke

2022

Avian Biology Research

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Total radar cross-section of birds was quantified in observations of four large bird assemblages with daily sunrise foraging flights for January and February 2021, including the severe February 2021 cold wave. Reduced foraging behavior during the cold wave was expected as birds reduced energy expenditure during the extreme cold. While this was observed with two assemblages in Oklahoma where the cold was most severe, a site in central Texas showed the opposite response, indicating increased foraging to meet increased energy demands. Foraging behavior was influenced by temperature and windspeed, but the direction of this influence differed across sites. This difference seemed partially driven by cold wave severity at individual sites, and may have also been influenced by differing species composition. At the site where waterbirds were the primary contributors, these larger and more cold-tolerant species showed less of a wind/temperature dependence.

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Social partners and temperature jointly affect morning foraging activity of small birds in winter

Cited by 8 publications

References 42 publications

Studying individual-level interactions can transform our understanding of avian mixed-species flocks

Studying individual-level interactions can transform our understanding of avian mixed-species flocks

The Landscape of Fear as a Safety Eco-Field: Experimental Evidence

Radar Indications of Altered Foraging Behavior during the February 2021 Severe North American Cold Wave

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