Abstract
Nest-site selection is a behavioral response that can provide protection for adults, eggs and nestlings, affecting fitness. Since predation is the main cause of nest loss worldwide, it has been considered as the main evolutionary driver in nest-site selection. Nevertheless, in some cases, nest microclimate may be the primary evolutionary force operating on nest-site selection. We aimed at determining at mesohabitat and microhabitat scales if Chilean Elaenia (Elaenia chilensis) selected the nest site and, if so, whether such selection was associated with a reduction in nest predation. Since nest orientation may influence nest microclimate, we also tested whether it affected the reproductive output. At the mesohabitat scale, the subcanopy cover (1.5–4 m from the ground) was selected by this species. At the microhabitat scale, elaenias preferred Schinus patagonicus to nest and oriented their nests preferentially to the north and eastern directions. These selected habitat features had no effect on nest success and reproductive output. Despite the risk of nest predation by several aerial (birds) and ground predators (rodents), both successful and predated Chilean Elaenia nests were close to the ground rather than at intermediate heights. Considering the hardness of S. patagonicus wood that can provide structural support to the nest against strong winds, and that nests were oriented to the opposite direction of prevailing wind, Chilean Elaenia nest-site selection might be related to microclimatic factors at nest sites rather than predation. Therefore, it is imperative to consider potential associations between nest microclimate and habitat features to advance in the understanding of bird nest-site selection.
Zusammenfassung
Beeinflusst Prädation die Wahl des Nistplatzes des Weißbauch-Olivtyrannen (Elaenia chilensis) in den gemäßigten Wäldern des südlichen Südamerikas?
Nistplatzwahl ist eine Verhaltensreaktion, die Schutz für erwachsene Vögel, Eier und Nestlinge bieten kann und sich auf die Fitness auswirkt. Da Prädation weltweit die Hauptursache für den Verlust von Nestern sind, wurde sie als wichtigste evolutionäre Treibkraft für die Nistplatzwahl angesehen. Nichtsdestotrotz kann das Mikroklima des Nests in einigen Fällen die primäre evolutionäre Kraft bei der Nistplatzwahl sein. Wir wollten herausfinden, inwiefern Weißbauch-Olivtyrannen (Elaenia chilensis) auf der Ebene der Meso- und Mikrohabitate den Niststandort auswählen, und wenn ja, ob eine solche Auswahl mit einer Verringerung der Nestprädation einhergeht. Da die Ausrichtung des Nestes das Nestmikroklima beeinflussen kann, untersuchten wir auch, ob sich dieses auf den Fortpflanzungserfolg auswirkt. Auf der Ebene des Mesohabitats wurde vom Olivtyrann die Strauchschicht (1,5–4,0 m über dem Boden) ausgewählt. Auf der Ebene des Mikrohabitats bevorzugten Olivtyrannen Schinus patagonicus als Nistplatz und richteten ihre Nester vorranging nach Norden und Osten aus. Diese ausgewählten Habitatmerkmale hatten weder auf den Nesterfolg noch auf die Fortpflanzungsleistung einen Einfluss. Trotz des Risikos der Nestprädation durch verschiedene Luft- (Vögel) und Bodenprädatoren (Nagetiere) befanden sich sowohl die erfolgreichen als auch die prädierten Olivtyrannnester eher in Bodennähe als in mittleren Höhen. Berücksichtigt man die Holzhärte von S. patagonicus, die dem Nest strukturelle Unterstützung gegen starke Winde bieten kann, und der Tatsache, dass die Nester von den vorherrschenden Winden abgewandt ausgerichtet waren, könnte die Nistplatzwahl bei Weißbauch-Olivtyrannen eher mit mikroklimatischen Faktoren am Nistplatz als mit Prädation zusammenhängen. Daher ist es unerlässlich, potenzielle Zusammenhänge zwischen dem Nestmikroklima und Habitatmerkmalen zu berücksichtigen, um das Verständnis für die Nistplatzwahl von Vögeln zu verbessern.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Roberts family for allowing us to work at Cañadón Florido Ranch and Hidroeléctrica Futaleufú S. A. for providing us with historical climatic data from the Río Percey meteorological station. We are grateful to Héctor Gonda for improving English syntax and grammar of our paper. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions, which greatly enhanced this paper.
Funding
This research was supported by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET-Argentina). VRC received financial support from the National Geographic Society (GN 9289-13). CAG received the Bergstrom Award (USA, 2015) from the Association of Field Ornithologists and the François Vuilleumier Fund (USA, 2017) from the Neotropical Ornithological Society.
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All the authors contributed to the study conceptualization. CAG and VRC designed the study and acquired the funding. Project administration was performed by CAG and VRC. Data collection, curation and analysis were performed by CAG. All the authors provided resources (study materials and computing resources). CAG wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All the authors revised the manuscript, contributed with writing and approved the final manuscript.
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Field work was conducted with permission of Dirección de Fauna y Flora Silvestre, Ministerio de Desarrollo Territorial y Sectores Productivos de la Provincia del Chubut, Argentina.
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Gorosito, C.A., Tuero, D.T. & Cueto, V.R. Does predation drive Chilean Elaenia (Elaenia chilensis) nest-site selection in the temperate forest of southern South America?. J Ornithol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02163-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02163-2