Abstract
Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure. This cohabitation of birds and nest-dwelling invertebrates may foster symbiotic relationships between them, but evidence is lacking. We investigated whether ants are attracted to bird nests by the heat generated by the hosts, and/or the nests’ structural insulation properties, to raise their broods (larvae and/or pupae) in advantageous thermal conditions. We found that the endothermic activity of birds within their nests created ‘heat islands’, with thermal conditions potentially promoting the survival and development of ant larvae in cool environments. We experimentally confirmed that the presence of heat within bird nests, and not the structure itself, attracted the ants to colonise the nests. As ants might benefit from exploiting warm bird nests, this may be a previously overlooked commensal, mutualistic or parasitic relationship which may be ecologically significant and globally widespread among various nesting birds and reproducing ants. Similar interspecific interactions may exist with other arthropods that reproduce in avian and mammalian nests. Further research is needed to reveal the nature of these relationships between such taxa, and to understand the role of warm-blooded animals as thermal ecosystem engineers.
Highlights
Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure
Active nests that are currently occupied by birds might form well-insulated ‘heat islands’ in cold environments, which may be important for the enhanced survival and reproduction of nest-dwelling arthropods
Our work is the most comprehensive study to date that examines the role of nesting birds as thermal ecosystem engineers for nest-dwelling arthropods
Summary
Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure. This cohabitation of birds and nest-dwelling invertebrates may foster symbiotic relationships between them, but evidence is lacking. Well-known examples of ecosystem engineering include beavers (Castoridae) damming streams to create wetlands that are inhabited by a diverse community of plants and animals[3], or burrowing mammals that change the physical and chemical properties of soil available for plants[4,5] Nesting birds are another example of a diverse group of ecosystem engineers, which are widespread throughout the world.
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