Nest survival patterns in Eurasian Bittern: effect of nest age, time and habitat variables.

ABSTRACT: Determining the key factors affecting the reproductive success of nesting birds is crucial in order to better understand the population dynamics of endangered species and to introduce effective conservation programmes for them. Inhabiting a variety of wetland habitats, aquatic birds actively select safe nesting sites so as to protect their nests against predators. The main aim of the present work was to assess the effect of temporal and habitat variables on the daily nest survival rate of Eurasian Bitterns colonizing semi-natural fishpond habitat in eastern Poland. MARK software was used for the modelling. Eurasian Bittern nests were most vulnerable to depredation at the beginning of the breeding season. This was probably because the reedbed vegetation at this time was not yet dense enough

SUBMITTER: Polak M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4918471 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature