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The influence of weather and parental provisioning on fledging success depends on nest box type in a cavity-nesting passerine, the Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)
Digital Document
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Peer Reviewed
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Author (aut): Leroux, Sarah L
Author (aut): McKellar, Ann E.
Author (aut): Flood, Nancy J.
Author (aut): Paetkau, Mark J.
Author (aut): Bailey, Jacob M.
Author (aut): Reudink, Matthew W.
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Abstract |
Abstract
Both weather and parental care can influence avian reproductive success, yet few studies have investigated
these 2 factors simultaneously. Examining these factors under a common framework is informative because they may interact
to influence overall productivity; for example, weather could directly influence nestling survival or could act indirectly by
influencing rates of provisioning. To tease apart these possibilities, we used piecewise structural equation modeling and path
analysis to assess the relative influence of local weather (temperature and rainfall) and rates of provisioning on the fledging
success of Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) breeding in nest boxes. Both ambient temperature during the nestling
period and provisioning rates influenced fledging success, but this finding was dependent on nest box entrance type.
Bluebirds nesting in boxes with a hole-shaped entrance had higher overall fledging success than those using boxes with a
slot-shaped entrance and exhibited a positive association between fledging success and provisioning rates but a negative
association with temperature. Bluebirds nesting in boxes with a slot-shaped entrance experienced reduced fledging success,
and success was only weakly associated with provisioning rates. Reduced fledging success for birds nesting in slot boxes
may be due to increased exposure and higher susceptibility to stochastic events (e.g., storms), which may also mask any
effects of parental effort on success rates. Based on these findings, we recommend the use of nest boxes with hole-shaped
rather than slot-shaped entrances when managers and conservation groups establish new bluebird routes or replace existing
boxes. |
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Volume 130, Issue 3
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Publication Identifier
issn: 1938-5447
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DOI |
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1676/17-084.1
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ISSN
1559-4491
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Use and Reproduction |
Use and Reproduction
author
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Keywords |
Keywords
weather
fledging
mountain bluebird
nest box
parental care
provisioning
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