Abstract

In the surroundings of the small community of Råda, Sweden (60°00'N, 13°36'E) approximately 350 nest boxes were checked annually during 20 years (1985–2004) with more or less daily visits during the breeding season. Data for 950 original clutches, 125 replacement clutches and 77 second clutches of Great Tit producing at least one fledgling were recorded. The mean date of laying the first egg was 10 May without any trend in spite of increasing trend of spring temperature. However, annual date of laying was correlated with April spring temperature (at least one degree warmer than average advanced laying with at least two days). The mean size of all first clutches was 8.74 eggs, which is less than shown by other long-term studies from the Nordic area. The number of eggs laid by young females was the same as for other females, a result that differs from other studies. In the studied area the ratio of second clutches in relation to the number of original clutches was 0–16.7% (average 8%), which is far less than normally reported.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.