Timing and location of reproduction in African waterfowl: an overview of >100 years of nest records.

ABSTRACT: The timing and location of reproduction are fundamental elements of reproductive success for all organisms. Understanding why animals choose to reproduce at particular times and in particular places is also important for our understanding of other aspects of organismal ecology, such as their habitat requirements, movement strategies, and biogeography. Although breeding patterns in waterfowl are relatively well documented, most studies are from northern temperate regions and the influences of location and time of year on breeding in Afrotropical ducks (Anatidae) are poorly understood. We outline six alternative (but not mutually exclusive) hypotheses that might explain where and when Afrotropical ducks choose to breed. To explore these hypotheses, we assembled and analyzed a new database of

SUBMITTER: Cumming GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4739573 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature