La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Use of sensory cues by fish crows Corvus ossifragus preying on artificial bird nests
Auteurs :	L. Santisteban, Auteur ; K. E. Sieving, Auteur ; M. L. Avery, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Journal of Avian Biology (33(3) SEP 2002)
Article en page(s) :	245-252
Langues:	Anglais
Résumé :	How predators locate avian nests is poorly understood and has been subjected to little experimental inquiry. We examined which sensory stimuli were important in the nest-Finding behavior of fish crows Corvus ossifragus, a common nest predator in the southeastern United States. Using an array of potted trees in a large enclosure, we presented artificial nests to captive crows and quantified responses to visual. auditory, and olfactory nest cues, and nest position. Partial ranks of nest-treatment preferences were analyzed using log-linear models. Nest visibility significantly increased the likelihood of predation by fish crows and increasing nest height was a marginally significant influence on nest vulnerability; no responses were apparent to auditory or olfactory stimuli. Our findings demonstrate that fish crows are visually-oriented nest predators that may preferentially prey on, or more readily encounter, above-ground nests. Moreover, the experimental design provides a new method for evaluating predator-prey interactions between nests and their predators. This study also illustrates how sensory capabilities of predators can interact with nest types to determine nest predation patterns.

Lundi , mardi et jeudi de 9h à 12h et de 13h à 17h00 : ouverture au public ...