Abstract
were usually successful in their supplanting attacks, but the dominance order between the two species was not absolute and the number of interspecific interactions were few. As emphasised by the authors, it is necessary to consider how applicable the results from birds held in captivity are to the natural situation. In this paper I present the results of interspecific encounters between five tit species visiting an outdoor feeder in central Norway. In general, the following social rank order was observed: Great Tit P. major > Blue Tit P. caeruleus > Marsh Tit P. palustris > Coal Tit > Willow Tit. The Coal Tits showed a statistically significant tendency to be dominant over the larger Willow Tits, although not in all cases. Nevertheless, it seems that the Coal Tit's status in the social hierarchy requires consideration in the current discussion on the interspecific competition for food and foraging sites among species belonging to the tit guild of the coniferous forest.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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
