| Titre : | Breeding microhabitat selection by Great Tits Parus major in a deciduous primeval forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland) (2015) |
| Auteurs : | Marta Maziarz, Auteur ; Richard K. Broughton, Auteur |
| Type de document : | Article |
| Dans : | Bird Study (62(3) juillet 3, 2015) |
| Article en page(s) : | 358-367 |
| Résumé : | Capsule Great Tits breeding in natural cavities in a primeval forest occupied microhabitats containing larger trees, but small differences between ‘breeding’ and ‘non-breeding’ locations indicated the minor importance of microhabitat selection in nest-placement decisions.Aims We tested whether Great Tits breeding in primeval conditions used vegetation composition to choose breeding patches.Methods Great Tit territories and nest-trees were mapped in two study areas in deciduous, old-growth forest. We compared tree species composition, tree girth and condition between ‘breeding’ and ‘non-breeding’ plots.Results Great Tit territories were tightly packed, filling most of the available area. Vegetation composition in ‘breeding’ and ‘non-breeding’ plots differed only for trees that could potentially harbour Great Tit nest-cavities; ‘breeding’ plots contained larger trees. The distribution of Great Tit nests varied between years, with some ‘non-breeding’ patches in one year becoming ‘breeding’ ones in another.Conclusion It seems unlikely that nest-placement decisions by Great Tits are constrained by the microhabitat quality under primeval conditions. |
| En ligne : | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00063657.2015.1050994 |



