The endemic Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca) adapts readily to artificial nest sites

Abstract

Widespread urbanization leads to environmental changes and affects avian populations. We provided artificial nest sites in the form of plastic tubes placed in earth embankments and compared the breeding parameters to those in natural nest sites of the endemic Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca). We hypothesized that the loss of semi-natural habitats, in which Cyprus Wheatear have coevolved with agriculturists, could be offset by the provision of alternative nest sites. We found that breeding parameters like clutch size (4.7; 95% CL: 4.6–4.9), the number of nestlings (4.0; 3.7–4.3), fledglings (3.5; 3.2–3.9) and overall breeding success (82.2%; 73.7–89.0) did not differ between natural and artificial nest sites. Average occupancy of artificial nest sites was only 6.1% (5.4–6.7) but at present, the Cyprus Wheatear population appears to be resilient with high reproductive output and survival. The study showed that the endemic Cyprus Wheatear readily adapts to alternative, artificial nest sites, and their reproductive output is similar to individuals nesting in natural sites. Considering novel approaches to sustain future populations of endemic species are crucial in the face of a fast-changing world.