Abstract
Abstract As Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) populations approach carrying capacity in the Chesapeake Bay, competition for breeding territories appears to be intensifying. Frequent territorial interactions may force breeders to adjust nest-guarding behavior. We examined nest-guarding behaviors at active Bald Eagle nests in the lower Chesapeake Bay during the nesting season (2012 and 2013). Guarding coverage was 13.7 ± 4.2% of total observation time during the pre-laying period, 6.8 ± 2.2% of observation time in the incubation period, and 26.3 ± 3.2% of observation time in the nestling period. Females were present in the nest area for 80.0 ± 2.7% of the nestling period. Although males were present only 51.2 ± 2.8% of the nestling period, male breeders guarded nests twice as often as females. Adults guarded most often from perches in adjacent trees and within 25 m of the nest. If increasing rates of conspecific interactions force males to allocate more time to nest guarding, a tradeoff may occur, with ...
Highlights
ABSTRACT.—As Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) populations approach carrying capacity in the Chesapeake Bay, competition for breeding territories appears to be intensifying
A recent investigation of territorial interactions in Bald Eagles in the Chesapeake Bay found that intraspecific intrusions around active nests are common during the nesting season (Turrin and Watts 2014)
We evaluated the relationship between nesting stage and guarding effort in the 2012 breeding season using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test
Summary
ABSTRACT.—As Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) populations approach carrying capacity in the Chesapeake Bay, competition for breeding territories appears to be intensifying. Intrusion indirectly affects reproductive success by creating additional stresses on breeders (Kauffman et al 2004, Bretagnolle et al 2008) These stresses include the allocation of time and energy to chasing off intruders (Sunde and Bølstad 2004); the constraint of the territory to a more defensible size (Norton et al 1982, Mougeot et al 2003, Ridley et al 2004); conflicts resulting in the wounding or killing of a breeding adult, which leaves the mate to care for the young alone (Newton 1979); and may include the allocation of more time to nest guarding at the expense of other parental care activities
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