Abstract
We monitored 124 female Golden-cheeked Warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia) at 133 nests with video cameras from 1997–2002 and 2005– 2006 at two study areas in central Texas, USA. Six adult females were depredated by snakes in 781 camera-monitored intervals when females were on the nest at night and exposed to possible nocturnal predation. Daily nest survival was 0.971 (95% CI: 0.959–0.980) and daily adult female predation while nesting was 0.008 (95% CI: 0.003–0.017). We estimated that 14.6% of breeding females were depredated on the nest during the breeding season based on the observed survival rates and assuming females whose first nest was unsuccessful and which survived attempted a second nesting attempt. Females were captured 75% of the times they were on the nest at the time of a nocturnal nest predation by a snake. Predation of nesting females is potentially an important source of mortality for Golden-cheeked Warblers, and warrants further investigation.
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