Can the choice of nesting site facilitate species coexistence?
Shrub-steppe passerines such as Dupont’s Lark (Chersophilus duponti), Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Greater Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris) and Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca) have unique ecological and evolutionary characteristics related to their preference for structurally simple habitats. This fact could restrict their nesting sites, as most of these species place their nests on the ground and more or less covered by vegetation, which may make this group of birds particularly sensitive during competition with other sympatric species when choosing a suitable nest site.
Nest site selection refers to species-specific preferences for nest location and is constrained by the evolutionary history of birds, which determines the distribution of species in micro- and macrohabitats (Brightsmith, 2005). Nesting requirements can be considered components of a species’ niche, so that in areas where similar bird species coexist, there should be differential selection at the microhabitat scale for the nest site, usually in relation to the building materials, shape and nest structure, as well as the vegetation structure of the chosen site (Collias & Collias 2014).....
SEE COMPLETE ON THE BOU BLOG: https://bou.org.uk/blog-barrero-iberian-passerines/
LINKED PAPER
Nest features and nesting niche segregation in five Iberian steppe Passerines. Barrero, A., Caballero, B. C., Reverter, M., Gómez-Catasús, J., Bustillo-de la Rosa, D., Zurdo, J., & Traba, J. 2023 Ardeola. doi: 10.13157/arla.70.2.2023.ra4
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrián Barrero
Adrián is a PhD Student in Ecology in the Terrestrial Ecology Group at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (TEG-UAM). His research is linked to evolutionary ecology and conservation of steppe birds, where he uses the contextual framework of niche theory to determine the effect of competition and other biotic factors on the coexistence and niche segregation of this steppe passerine community assemblage. Adrián is currently working on the LIFE Connect Ricotí Project which strives for the conservation and improvement of the structural and assisted connectivity of the Iberian metapopulation of the Dupont’s Lark (Chersophilus duponti). For this research, Adrián was also affiliated with the Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CBIB-UAM).
Nest site selection refers to species-specific preferences for nest location and is constrained by the evolutionary history of birds, which determines the distribution of species in micro- and macrohabitats (Brightsmith, 2005). Nesting requirements can be considered components of a species’ niche, so that in areas where similar bird species coexist, there should be differential selection at the microhabitat scale for the nest site, usually in relation to the building materials, shape and nest structure, as well as the vegetation structure of the chosen site (Collias & Collias 2014).....
SEE COMPLETE ON THE BOU BLOG: https://bou.org.uk/blog-barrero-iberian-passerines/
LINKED PAPER
Nest features and nesting niche segregation in five Iberian steppe Passerines. Barrero, A., Caballero, B. C., Reverter, M., Gómez-Catasús, J., Bustillo-de la Rosa, D., Zurdo, J., & Traba, J. 2023 Ardeola. doi: 10.13157/arla.70.2.2023.ra4
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrián Barrero
Adrián is a PhD Student in Ecology in the Terrestrial Ecology Group at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (TEG-UAM). His research is linked to evolutionary ecology and conservation of steppe birds, where he uses the contextual framework of niche theory to determine the effect of competition and other biotic factors on the coexistence and niche segregation of this steppe passerine community assemblage. Adrián is currently working on the LIFE Connect Ricotí Project which strives for the conservation and improvement of the structural and assisted connectivity of the Iberian metapopulation of the Dupont’s Lark (Chersophilus duponti). For this research, Adrián was also affiliated with the Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CBIB-UAM).