Influence of social and physical environmental variation on antipredator behavior in mixed-species parid flocks.

ABSTRACT: Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) and tufted titmice (Baeolophus bicolor) regularly form flocks with multiple species through the winter months, including white-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis). Earlier studies found that behavior of both chickadees and titmice was sensitive to mixed-species flock composition. Little is known about the influence of background noise level and vegetation density on the antipredator behaviors of individuals within these flocks, however. We tested for the effects of vegetation density, traffic noise, and flock composition (conspecific number, flock diversity, and flock size) on antipredator behavioral responses following an alarm call playback (Study 1) and an owl model presentation (Study 2) at feeders. We recorded background traffic noise an

SUBMITTER: Adams CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10735029 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature