Nest-Site Selection and the Importance of Nest Concealment in the Black-Throated Blue Warbler

Nest-site selection of Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) was studied for two summers in a northern hardwood forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Nest placement in the shrub layer was examined to evaluate several alternative hypotheses concerning the selection of nest-s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Condor (Los Angeles, Calif.) Calif.), 1991-08, Vol.93 (3), p.575-581
Main Author: Holway, David A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal nesting
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Aves
Biological and medical sciences
Bird nesting
Dendroica caerulescens
Density
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Leaves
Microhabitats
Military camouflage
Predation
Shrubs
T tests
Vertebrata
Warblers
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Summary:Nest-site selection of Black-throated Blue Warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) was studied for two summers in a northern hardwood forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Nest placement in the shrub layer was examined to evaluate several alternative hypotheses concerning the selection of nest-site microhabitat. Nest-sites tended to be in dense patches of hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) with denser vegetation below 1.5 m and more open vegetation between 1.5-3 m than at random points. Shrub densities at nests and at random points within hobblebush patches were, in nearly all cases, statistically indistinguishable. Nests were placed in large patches of shrubs much more often than at random points and in larger patches of hobblebush more often than at random points within hobblebush patches. Black-throated Blue Warblers placed their nest in more concealed locations compared to empty nests placed at random locations. Concealment indices of successful and depredated nests, however, were not significantly different from one another. Several reasons why this species chose particular microhabitats within the shrub layer are discussed.
ISSN:0010-5422
1938-5129
DOI:10.2307/1368189