Nest-dismantling behavior of the hair-crested Drongo in Central China: An adaptive behavior for increasing fitness?

Abstract

We studied a unique nest-dismantling behavior after fledging by Hair-crested Drongos (Dicrurus hottentottus) at the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Henan Province, China, during the summer of 2007. Of the 13 nests that fledged young, 12 were dismantled by the adults that built them after the young fledged. Some individuals initiated dismantling behavior on the same day the young birds left the nest and completed dismantling within a few days; others waited for a few days and took longer to finish. The mean rates of visitation and nest-dismantling behavior were 0.10 ± 0.04 and 0.06 ± 0.03 times hr-1 (± SE), respectively, once nest dismantling was initiated. We propose that the nest dismantling by the Hair-crested Drongo may be an adaptive behavior to increase fitness by reducing risk of future predation and competition for nest sites in the following breeding season. © 2009 by The Cooper Ornithological Society. All rights reserved.