Abstract
Bird nest orientation is affected by environmental variables determined by their geographical position as well as microclimatic conditions. In closed-cup-nesting species, nests may be oriented to avoid adverse environmental extremes such as sun exposure, wind, and rainfall, although vegetal cover may provide extra protection generating random orientation patterns. Here, we assess nest entrance orientation in Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) at 11 South American sites by comparing nests well covered by vegetation (> 75% covered) from those with less or non-external vegetal protection (< 25%). We estimated and compared mean entrance orientation between northern and southern locations and levels of vegetation cover using circular statistics (n = 1291). Additionally, the influence of geographical latitude and vegetation cover on nest orientation was evaluated using linear mixed models across sites with non-random nest-orientation patterns. Results showed differences in mean orientation values between covered and uncovered nests at most locations and directed entrance orientation for uncovered nests. On the other hand, the models indicate that nest entrance orientation is not affected by the joint effect of latitude and vegetation cover and high variability between locations. Local microclimatic conditions provided by the vegetation above nests are important determinants for nest orientation in the species, although additional information about local rainfall, wind, temperature, and nesting site availability may help to determine the factors affecting orientation in the species on a local level.
Zusammenfassung
Der Einfluss der geographischen Breite und der Sonneneinstrahlung auf die Nestausrichtung bei Rosttöpfern (Furnarius rufus) Die Ausrichtung von Vogelnestern wird von Umweltvariablen beeinflusst, die durch die geographische Position der Nester sowie die dortigen mikroklimatischen Bedingungen bestimmt werden. Bei Arten, die in geschlossenen Napfnestern brüten, können die Nester so ausgerichtet sein, dass sie widrige Umweltextreme, z. B. bezüglich Sonneneinstrahlung, Wind und Regen, vermeiden, wobei die Vegetation zusätzlichen Schutz bieten und zu einer zufälligen Ausrichtung des Nesteingangs führen kann. Hier untersuchen wir die Ausrichtung des Nesteingangs bei Rosttöpfern (Furnarius rufus) an 11 südamerikanischen Standorten und vergleichen stark durch Vegetation geschützte Nester (> 75% bedeckt) mit solchen, denen die Vegetation nur wenig oder gar keinen Schutz bietet (< 25% bedeckt). Wir haben die mittlere Ausrichtung des Nesteingangs abgeschätzt und mit Hilfe von Kreisstatistik zwischen nördlichen und südlichen Standorten sowie Standorten mit unterschiedlicher Vegetationsbedeckung verglichen (n = 1291). Zusätzlich haben wir den Einfluss der geographischen Breite und der Vegetationsbedeckung auf die Nestausrichtung an Standorten, an denen die Nester nicht zufällig ausgerichtet waren, mit Hilfe linearer gemischter Modelle ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigten an den meisten Standorten Unterschiede in der mittleren Ausrichtung zwischen durch Vegetation geschützten und exponierten Nestern sowie eine gezielte Ausrichtung des Eingangs für exponierte Nester. Andererseits zeigen die Modelle, dass die Ausrichtung des Nesteingangs nicht durch den gemeinsamen Effekt von geographischer Breite und Vegetationsbedeckung beeinflusst wird und die Variabilität zwischen Standorten hoch ist. Die lokalen mikroklimatischen Bedingungen, die durch die über dem Nest befindliche Vegetation zustande kommen, sind wichtige Faktoren für Nestausrichtung bei dieser Vogelart, wobei zusätzliche Informationen über örtliche Regenfälle, Wind, Temperatur und Nistplatzverfügbarkeit dabei helfen dürften, die Faktoren zu ermitteln, welche die Nestausrichtung auf lokaler Ebene beeinflussen.
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Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge Carlos Toscano-Gadea and Macarena Gonzalez for helping us with the fieldwork. We also thank Marisel Morales who kindly made the drawings, and Erica Cuyckens, who provided us with the map. Sebastian Kennerknecht is warmly thanked for helping to improve the English of the manuscript. Finally, we want to thank two anonymous reviewers for their detailed comments, which have greatly improved the quality of the manuscript. A. A. Schaaf, C.G. García, E. Tallei, and A. I. E. Quaglia hold doctoral grants provided by CONICET.
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Communicated by T. Gottschalk.
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Schaaf, A.A., García, C.G., Puechagut, P.B. et al. Effect of geographical latitude and sun exposure on Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus) nest orientation. J Ornithol 159, 967–974 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1569-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1569-5