Utilizing material from old nests - a way to time-saving in a short breeding species? The case of the Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

Abstract

The Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) is a species characterized by high levels of nest depredation and a short breedingseason. In the face of such high levels of nesting failures, behavioural adaptations to reduce failures should be expected.Here I report on two cases where Long-tailed Tits appeared to reduce their re-nesting interval by utilizing material fromdestroyed nests to build new ones. I suggest that using a previous nest to build a subsequent nest is an adaptation in Longtailed Tits aimed at increasing the speed with which a pair can begin to re-nest and hence increasing their breeding success in a given year.