Effects of weather on the survival and growth of Corncrake Crex crex chicks

Abstract

Weather conditions during the early life of precocial chicks of some bird species have marked effects on survival and may also cause changes in adult population size. In this paper, we use data from broods with radiotagged mothers to examine correlations of growth rates and survival of Corncrake Crex crex chicks in Scotland and Ireland with temperature and rainfall. The loss of whole broods before they reached independence was infrequent and not correlated with temperature or rainfall. Loss of some chicks from broods before independence usually occurred and multiple regression analysis indicated that the proportion of chicks that survived increased with decreasing initial brood size, increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall. However, the magnitude of the effects of weather on survival were quite small. The rate of weight gain of chicks varied considerably within and among broods. The mean daily weight gain rate of broods decreased significantly with increasing rainfall, and variation in the weight of chicks within broods was greater for broods whose mean rate of weight gain was low.