Seasonal increase of nest height of the Silver-throated Tit (<i>Aegithalos glaucogularis</i>): can it reduce predation risk?

Haohui Guan; Ye Wen; Pengcheng Wang; Lei Lv; Jiliang Xu; Jianqiang Li

doi:10.1186/s40657-018-0135-4

Volume 9 Issue 1

Nov. 2019

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Abstract

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Avian Research > 2018 > 9(1): 42. > DOI: 10.1186/s40657-018-0135-4

Haohui Guan, Ye Wen, Pengcheng Wang, Lei Lv, Jiliang Xu, Jianqiang Li. 2018: Seasonal increase of nest height of the Silver-throated Tit (Aegithalos glaucogularis): can it reduce predation risk?. Avian Research, 9(1): 42. DOI: 10.1186/s40657-018-0135-4

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Seasonal increase of nest height of the Silver-throated Tit (Aegithalos glaucogularis): can it reduce predation risk?

1.
School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
2.
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
3.
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

Funds:

the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities through Beijing Forestry University 2016JX06

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 3110144

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 31472011

More Information

Corresponding author:
Jiliang Xu, xujiliang@bjfu.edu.cn

Jianqiang Li, lijianqiang@bjfu.edu.cn
Received Date: 03 Apr 2018
Accepted Date: 02 Dec 2018
Available Online: 24 Apr 2022
Publish Date: 06 Dec 2018

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

Background
Nest predation is usually the main cause of bird nest failure. 'Predation avoidance hypothesis' of nest-site selection predicts that birds should prefer nest-sites with higher nesting success. We investigated the relationship between nest height and nest fate in Silver-throated Tits (Aegithalos glaucogularis) and asked whether the seasonal change of nest height was adaptive by simultaneously analyzing the seasonal variation of predation rates of the nests.
Methods
We monitored nests of the Silver-throated Tit across seven breeding seasons in the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve in Henan Province of China. We compared the difference of nesting success among nests of different heights and analyzed the effect of nesting date on nest height and nest predation rates.
Results
The overall nesting success rate was 24.1% (n = 623). Among the failed nests (n = 472), 59.75% were predated by birds and mammals, followed by snakes (9.11%). The average height of successful nests was significantly lower than that of predated nests. As the season progresses, the height of the nests increased significantly, companied by the decrease in nesting success. Daily survival rate of the nests also decreased with the progression of the season, regardless of breeding stages.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that nest height is an important factor influencing the nesting success of Silver-throated Tits. However, the seasonal increase of nest height appears inconsistent to the 'predation avoidance hypothesis', because it is associated with higher predation rates. The reason for this maladaptive behavior remains to be explored in future studies.
- Nesting success,
- Nest height,
- Daily survival rate,
- Seasonal variation,
- Aegithalos glaucogularis

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Correction to: Avian Res (2018) 9:31

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0123-8

Unfortunately, the original article (Fuchs and Zuccon 2018) contained some errors. The Tables 1, 2 and Additional file 1: Table S2 were displayed incorrectly. The correct tables can be found below.

Table 1. Details of the six specimens of Orthotomus rufceps from southern Vietnam (original label mention is Cochinchina) collected by Louis Rodolphe Germain and representing, to our knowledge, the only specimens deposited in natural history museums

Collector	Catalog number	Sex	Collection Date	Locality	Country
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1866-573	Female	28 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-738	Male		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-739	Female	21 April 1865	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-740	Female		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-742	Male	29 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
Germain L.R.	SMF 78404	Male		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
The specimen in Senckenberg was previously cataloged at MNHN with the number MNHN ZO 1882-741; this specimen was not sequenced

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Table 2. Details of the nine specimens of Orthotomus sequenced as part of this study

Species	Collector	Catalog number	Collection date	Locality	Country
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1866-573	28 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-738		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-739	21 April 1865	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-740		'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
ruficeps	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-742	29 February 1864	'Cochinchina'	Vietnam
atrogularis	Germain L.R.	MNHN ZO 1882-728	13 April 1867	'Saigon, Cochinchina'	Vietnam
atrogularis	J. Delacour/P. Jabouille	MNHN ZO 1929-1463	27 February 1928	Phu-Qui	Vietnam
atrogularis	J. Delacour/P. Jabouille	MNHN ZO 1939-913	25 January 1930	Hoi-Xuan	Vietnam
atrogularis	J. Roche/J. Thiney	MNHN ZO 1989-120	17 December 1986	Trang	Thailand

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Additional file

Additional file 1: Table S2. Measurement details for the specimens included in the biometric analyses.

The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0123-8.

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