An Implicit Cost of Nest Re-use in the Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis

Abstract

1) The Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis was studied in Kyoto, Japan and found to often re-use old nests for breeding. The hypothesis that the same breeding outcome (success or failure due to different causes) tended to occur at the same nest was examined with reference to the interval between two successive breedings.2) Seasonal tendencies in breeding outcomes were not significantly different between new and old-reused nests. Other failures were most frequent in July to October, both at new and old-re-used nests.3) Other failures occurred more frequently at the nests in which the preceding outcomes were also other failures within a certain breeding interval, but there was no such relationship for successful breedings. The tendency was diminished when all breedings were combined with no consideration of breeding interval.4) The results obtained here suggested that nest predators tended to revisit previously preyed-upon nests within a certain interval. It is suggested that, as the risk of nest predation in using old nests could not be assessed by the present status of the nests, re-use of old nests involves an implicit cost of nest predation.