Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Science Article 10 abstract Sex differences in testosterone levels and sex-biased sensitivity to testosterone are the basis of some ideas postulated to account for sex-linked environmental vulnerability during early life. However, sex variation in circulating testosterone levels has been scarcely explored and never manipulated at post-natal stages of birds in the wild. […]
Intermittent Gliding in the Hunting Flight of the Kestrel, Falco Tinnunculus
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Science Article 6 abstract The hunting flight of the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) consists of short bouts of flight at wind speed against the wind with the eyes in a fixed position relative to the ground, and of short flights from one such position to the next. High speed films taken with a […]
Breeding biology and nest characteristics of the Eurasian Kestrel in different environments on an Atlantic island
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Science Article 9 abstract We studied reproductive parameters, nest-site characteristics and breeding success of theEurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus canariensis) on Tenerife Island, Canary Archipelago.Kestrels typically breed in cliffs cavities (79.4%), and were present in all habitatsfrom sea level to 2,400 m, except in shrubby heaths (rich in Myrica faya and Ericaarborea) and […]
First evidence of sex differences in the durationof avian embryonic period: consequences forsibling competition in sexually dimorphic birds
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Science Article 7 abstract Parental favoritism in birds would be enhanced if parents can control any egg feature influencing the ontogeny of the embryo during incubation. Egg size and composition may influence the duration of incubation and hatching periods, and eggs bearing embryos of different sex may differ in size and composition. […]
Between cohort variation in dispersal distance in the European Kestrel Falco tinnunculus as shown by ringing recoveries
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Science Article 8 abstract Ringing recoveries of European Kestrels from north-western Europe have shown that a very low proportion of this population is migratory, and that even large-distance movements can be attributed mainly to dispersal movements of young birds. Several studies have shown the importance of food availability on dispersal rates in […]
Variations in body condition and egg characteristics of female Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Science Article 4 abstract Offspring size is a very important life-history trait that may be affected by maternal effects and environmental conditions. We studied variation in egg size and within-clutch symmetry variation in egg volume in Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus in southern Spain over six years. Repeatability of egg volume among […]
Nest fate and vegetation characteristics for Snowy Plover and Killdeer in Colorado, USA
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Science Article 5 abstract We quantified vegetation characteristics at nest sites of Snowy Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Killdeers (C. vociferus) in south-eastern Colorado during 1995 to assessinterspecific differences in nesting habitat and determine whether habitat characteristics influenced nest fate. Killdeers nested in areas with significantly more grass, litter, and vegetation within […]
Nest-site selection and breeding biology of Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus on sandy beaches of the Portuguese west coast.
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Science Article 1 abstract Aims: The nest-site selection and breeding biology of Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus were studied on sandy beaches of the Portuguese West coast.Methods: Nest-site characteristics were compared with those of random points and between successful and unsuccessful nests. Breeding parameters (timing of laying, nesting success and egg size) […]
Changes in Breeding Population Numbers ofKentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus atAtanasovsko Lake
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Science Article 2 abstract Atanasovsko Lake is the most important Kentish Plover breeding site in Bulgaria. 141 pairs nested there in 1978, 252 in 1979 and 238 in 1981. During the following years, numbers decreased sharply due to habitat degradation, reaching 39 pairs in 1993 and 65 in 2000. Detailed studies […]
BREEDING BIOLOGY OF A KENTISH PLOVER (CHARADRIUS ALEXANDRINUS) POPULATION IN AN INLAND SALINE LAKE
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Science Article 8 abstract Breeding biology of Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) population in an inlnd saline lake. We studied the breeding. biology of Kentish Plovers in Fuente de Piedra lake (southern Spain) in 1997 and q992. Breeders showed sexual dimorphism in tarsal length and body mass: body mass decreased throughout the […]