Abstract
BackgroundBreeding site choice constitutes an important part of the species niche. Nest predation affects breeding site choice, and has been suggested to drive niche segregation and local coexistence of species. Interspecific social information use may, in turn, result in copying or rejection of heterospecific niche characteristics and thus affect realized niche overlap between species. We tested experimentally whether a migratory bird, the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, collects information about nest predation risk from indirect cues of predators visiting nests of heterospecific birds. Furthermore, we investigated whether the migratory birds can associate such information with a specific nest site characteristic and generalize the information to their own nest site choice.ResultsOur results demonstrate that flycatchers can use the fate of heterospecific nesting attempts in their own nest site choice, but do so selectively. Young flycatcher females, when making the decision quickly, associated the fate of an artificial nest with nest-site characteristics and avoided the characteristic associated with higher nest predation risk.ConclusionsCopying nest site choices of successful heterospecifics, and avoiding choices which led to failed attempts, may amplify or counter effects of nest predation on niche overlap, with important consequences for between-species niche divergence-convergence dynamics, species coexistence and predator-prey interactions.
Highlights
Breeding site choice constitutes an important part of the species niche
The niche concept is a central tenet in the theory of species coexistence and community ecology, stating that two species cannot coexist without adequate niche differences [1,2,3,4]
We investigated whether the migratory bird can associate such information with a specific nest site characteristic, are able to generalize the perceived information and use it in guiding their own nest-site choice
Summary
Breeding site choice constitutes an important part of the species niche. Nest predation affects breeding site choice, and has been suggested to drive niche segregation and local coexistence of species. One important axis of the species niche is the characteristics of offspring production site (nest, den, etc). Resources and predation risk are affected by the decisions of other individuals in the community, including those of other species. Breeding site choice driven by varying nest predation pressure has been shown to be an important mechanism affecting species coexistence [5,6,7]. This idea is based on functional responses of nest predators to higher overall
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