Multiple nest reuse by three passerine species

Abstract

Nest reuse is often observed in large- and medium-sized birds, including hole-nesters, while in smaller passerines building open-cup nests it is rarely recorded. In this note we report a case of multiple nest reuse, observed in a residential garden in Poland. The nest was located on the wall of a farm building partly overgrown by Boston Ivy at the height of 2.3 m. The nest was occupied eight times between 2007 and 2023 by three bird species: Grey and Pied Wagtails and Common Blackbirds. The nest was built by Grey Wagtails in 2007, but in 2009 it was reconstructed considerably by blackbirds. The Blackbird cup with mud lining survived until 2023 and contained all other nests. We suggest that the most plausible reason for multiple nest reuse was the high quality of this nest site. However, we also found that the nest was used during warm, dry springs but avoided when weather conditions at the beginning of the breeding season were adverse. We hypothesize that cold and wet springs – thought to be associated with high costs of reproduction – may have influenced birds’ decision not to reuse the nest. To our knowledge, this is the longest case of nest reuse reported for passerines building open-cup nests.