Some nest predators visually assess parental activities to locate a prey nest, whereas parents modify fitness-related traits to reduce the probability of nest predation, and/or nestlings fledge early to escape the risky nest environment. Here, we experimentally tested if the parental and fledging behaviours of oriental tits (Parus minor) that bred in the nest-box varied with cavity conditions a...

Nest-building behavior in 6 female and 6 male mice of IVCS strain, 20 to 30 weeks old, was studied over a period of 24 days. Weight and style of the nest were used as measures to assess the effects of pup exposure on nest-building. Data were collected between 13 : 00 and 14 : 00 of each day. Female mice with pup exposure showed significant increases in the nest weight and the percentage of good...

ABssAcr.-We identified habitat features that characterized successful and unsuccessful nest sites, nest sites vs. random sites, and differences among coexisting species of cavitynesting birds for 356 nests in central Arizona. Live and, more commonly, dead quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) were used for 88% of all nest sites, but aspens constituted only 12% of all trees in random plots (n = 1...

Habitat selection by animals is influenced by and mitigates the effects of predation and environmental extremes. For birds, nest site selection is crucial to offspring production because nests are exposed to extreme weather and predation pressure. Predators that forage using olfaction often dominate nest predator communities; therefore, factors that influence olfactory detection (e.g., airflow ...

—We report on an unusual nest site of a Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, Canada. The nest was located at the base of a 41-cm-high willow (Salix spp.) in a dense willow patch surrounded by coastal mudflats. Vegetation height and percent visual obstruction at the nest site were unusually high compared to height and cover previously described for Semipalma...

In-nest observations of the solitary bee, Megachile rotundata (F.), revealed that nesting females apply olfactory cues to nests for nest recognition. On their way in and out of the nest, females drag the abdomen along the entire length of the nest, and sometimes deposit fluid droplets from the tip of the abdomen. The removal of bee-marked sections of the nest resulted in hesitation and searchin...

Nest predation is the primary factor influencing grassland songbird reproductive success. Understanding factors driving spatial and temporal variation in nest survival requires that we identify the primary nest predators and factors influencing predator abundance and behavior. Predation events are rarely witnessed, and the identification of nest predators is inferred, often incorrectly, from ne...

Nests are structures built to support and protect eggs and/or offspring from predators, parasites, and adverse weather conditions. Nests are mainly constructed prior to egg laying, meaning that parent birds must make decisions about nest site choice and nest building behavior before the start of egg-laying. Parent birds should be selected to choose nest sites and to build optimally sized nests,...

Nest site selection in reptiles can affect the fitness of the parents through the survival of their offspring because environmental factors influence embryo survivorship, hatchling quality, and sex ratio. In sea turtles, nest site selection is influenced by selective forces that drive nest placement inland and those that drive nest placement seaward. Nests deposited close to the ocean have a gr...