Linking habitat preferences and fitness across scales for a relict bird species of the southern Andes.

ABSTRACT: Animals select their habitats from available resources in a way that should maximize fitness, and thus habitat preferences are generally predicted to be adaptive. However, there may be a mismatch between habitat preferences and fitness due to factors such as limited availability or disturbance of nesting habitats. In this study, we examine whether preferred nesting habitat attributes are linked to fitness (nest survival and number of fledglings) of the White-throated Treerunner (Pygarrhichas albogularis), an obligate excavator and tree cavity nester, across four spatial scales: (1) cavity -for fitness influence only-, (2) nest-tree, (3) forest-stand, and (4) landscape. During eight breeding seasons (October to February), between 2010 and 2018, we found and monitored 65 Treerunner nests in

SUBMITTER: Altamirano TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12501267 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature