Influence of olfactory and visual cover on nest site selection and nest success for grassland-nesting birds.

ABSTRACT: 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 and weather variables, including turbulence and moisture) should influence nest site selection and survival. However, few studies have assessed the importance of olfactory cover for habitat selection and survival. We assessed whether ground-nesting birds select nest sites based on visual and/or olfactory cover. Additionally, we assessed the importance of visual cover and airflow and weather variables

SUBMITTER: Fogarty DT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5574794 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature