Variation in common blackbird (Turdus merula) nest characteristics in urban and suburban localities in Crimea

Abstract

Variation in Common Blackbird, Turdus merula (Passeriformes, Turdidae), Nest Characteristics in Urban and Suburban Localities in Crimea. Kucherenko, V. M., Ivanovskaya, A. V. -Blackbird Turdus merula is a model species for studying the impact of environmental factors on the form and structure of nests. In the middle of XX, this species began to expand its range into the artifi cial forests of the Ukrainian steppe zone. Th is expansion may have led to changes in bird behaviour, including changes in nest construction choices (e.g., nest shape, size, location and building materials). In this study, we investigated Blackbird nest diversity (i. e., size, volume, and composition) in the park of Simferopol (a city in Crimea, South Ukraine) and in an artifi cial forest located nearby. We found a signifi cant inverse relationship between nest placement height and external nest diameter. External nest depth was greater in the forest than in the park. Th is diff erence refl ects the variation in plant life form between the sites. More specifi cally, nests in trees have signifi cantly greater external depth than the nests located on shrubs. Most nests in both urban and suburban localities contained natural and anthropogenic materials; there was no signifi cant diff erence in component types between sites. In general, the anthropogenic materials played a decorative role and also served as camoufl age.

Why do some bird species incorporate more anthropogenic materials into their nests than others?

“…In terrestrial environments that are heavily modified by humans (e.g. urban areas) ANMs included cotton threads, plastic broom fibres, paper, sweet wrappers, cigarette butts, polyethylene, paper towels, wet wipes, synthetic cotton, dental floss and bottle labels [19,22,23,[69][70][71]. Urbanization is usually associated with solid waste production [33] and it is known to concentrate macroplastics [59], potentially explaining the presence of such objects.…”

On the use of anthropogenic materials in nest building of House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), a report from Parque Los Algarrobos, Cumbayá, Ecuador

“…However, terrestrial birds may have a higher amount of ANMs incorporated in their nests [6]. Numerous terrestrial birds, particularly passerine birds, have been found to use ANMs [14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27]. These behaviors occur in a variety of families within the order Passeriformes; nevertheless, the inclusion of ANMs in wrens of the family Troglodytidae has seldom been reported [28,29].…”