Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 11 abstract 1. Descriptive studies have shown that the annual mean fecundity and survival in bird populations decline as density increases. Experimental studies in which breeding density has been manipulated show that density causally a.ects reproduction in some but not other species. 2. In a 3-year study on great […]
Category: Paridae
Food, reproductive success and multiple breeding in the Great Tit Parus major.
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 23 abstract We studied the reproductive success of facultatively double brooded Great Tits Parus major in relation to (seasonal) variation in abundance of their main food supply: caterpillars in Oak Quercus robur. Data were collected in two mixed woods (Vlieland and Hoge Veluwe, from 1985-1996). The caterpillar food stock […]
Song frequency plasticity and composition of phrase versions in Great Tits Parus major.
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 20 abstract In Great Tit song, a phrase of one to five notes is rapidly repeated in a strophe of a few seconds long. Great Tits sing up to 100 strophes of a single phrase version in a bout before a new phrase version is introduced. In 49 out […]
Delays of the hatching dates in Great Tits Parus major: Effects on breeding performance
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 21 abstract The effects of delays of hatching date, caused by temporary interruptions or lengthening of breeding activities such as nest building, laying or incubation, on several fitness-related components were studied in a Great Tit Parus major population in eastern Spain. Hatching delays were relatively more frequent during an […]
Are unseen effects of early environment negligible? Threeexamples in great tits (Parus major)
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 9 abstract Three case studies failed to demonstrate impacts of early environment or maternal effects on breeding in situationswhere they could have been expected. This leads to a number of methodological questions about the resolving power requiredto detect such impacts, but above all else to the conclusion that maternal […]
Great Tit Parus major survival and the beech-crop cycle
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 2 abstract The single most important environmental variable correlating with annual survival of both juvenile and adult Great Tits Parus major is the beech crop index (BCI). This index is a measure for the amount of seeds of beeches present in the winter, and correlates with crop size of […]
Breeding patterns of great tits ( Parus major ) in pine forests along the Portuguese west coast
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 12 abstract The breeding biology of great tits (Parus major) was studied in two forests of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) on the west coast of Portugal, 200 km apart: Leiria (north) and Apostica (south). These two forests are located in a transition zone between Atlantic climate in the north, […]
Daily energy expenditure during brood rearing of Great Tits Parus major in northern
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 22 abstract We present data on the natural variation in daily energy expenditure (DEE, measured by the doubly labelled water technique) of individual female Great Tits Parus major tending their brood near the northern border of the species’ distribution. We expected that longer foraging days would result in a […]
The abundance of essential vitamins in food chains and its impacton avian reproduction
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 8 abstract Birds produce fewer or less viable eggs if the micro-nutrient requirements for reproduction cannot be met. Forexample, embryos from failed eggs of European sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus often show anomalies that indicate vitamin B2deficiency. B2 is only produced by plants and is propagated through the food chain. Here, […]
Induced responses of nestling great tits reduce hen fleareproduction
Great Tit (Parus major) Science Article 37 abstract The dynamics of host