Rapid adoption of nest boxes by prothonotary warblers (Protonotaria citrea) in mesic deciduous forest

4Citations
Citations of this article
9Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

Breeding territory selection in Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea (Boddaert, 1783)) is thought to hinge on standing water, with a strong preference for low-lying areas prone to seasonal flooding. However, we have observed this species nesting in much drier areas than previously reported. We recently initiated a study of the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790)) using wooden nest boxes, and nearly 60% of all nests produced in these boxes during the initial study year were produced by Prothonotary Warblers, despite this species being absent from our field site during the year preceding nest-box availability. Most nests were produced in dense, closed-canopy forest with a thick shrub layer >100 m from any water body. There was no difference in the mean distance from water between nests of the Prothonotary Warbler and those of the Carolina Wren, a habitat generalist that does not nest over water. We then observed a 60% increase in the number of Prothonotary Warbler nests the following year, along with significant increases in breeding productivity. Although they nested on sites that they are not thought to prefer, our observations suggest that Prothonotary Warblers may nest in drier areas than usual if appropriate nest cavities are provided.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Mueller, A. J., Twedt, D. J., & Bowers, E. K. (2019). Rapid adoption of nest boxes by prothonotary warblers (Protonotaria citrea) in mesic deciduous forest. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 97(12), 1109–1115. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2019-0059

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free