A new method for catching cavity-nesting birds during egg laying and incubation

• Published in: Journal of field ornithology 2011-09, Vol.82 (3), p.320-324
• Main Authors: Marvelde, Luc te, Webber, Simone L., van den Burg, Arnold B., Visser, Marcel E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aves; Aviculture; Bird banding; Bird nesting; Birds; capture method; cavity-nesting bird; desertion; egg laying; Eggs; Female animals; Great Tit incubation; Incubation; ORNITHOLOGICAL METHODS; Ornithology; Oviposition; Parus major; Wild birds
• ISSN: 0273-8570; 1557-9263
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2011.00335.x

The physiological condition of female birds during the egg-laying and incubation periods is of considerable interest and yet is relatively understudied in wild birds, primarily due to the difficulty of catching birds during this period without causing nest desertion. We therefore developed a box-net to capture cavity-nesting birds using sections of a mist-net placed around a metal cubic frame. We captured female Great Tits (Parus major) as they left nest boxes during the egg-laying and incubation periods and measured desertion rates. Using box-nets, we captured 108 of 119 (90%) females during egg laying and 10 of 12 (83%) during incubation. Our recapture rate over two consecutive days during incubation was 50% (5 of 10). Females not captured left nest boxes before we attempted to capture them, escaped through a hole in the mist-net, or remained in nest boxes for more than 2 h, after which we ended capture attempts. Overall, 22% of egg-laying females deserted, with desertion rates highest early in the egg-laying period. Desertion rates of females captured using box-nets did not differ from those of undisturbed females. One of 10 females captured in a box-net deserted during the incubation period. Box-nets are portable, can be set up and taken down quickly and easily, and could potentially be used with nest boxes or natural cavities at any height. Box-nets are easy to construct and adaptable for use with an array of cavity-nesting birds, and can be an important tool for studying female physiology during egg laying and incubation. La condición fisiológica de las hembras de las aves durante la etapa de puesta de los huevos e incubación es de interés considerable, sin embargo ha sido relativamente poco estudiada en aves silvestres, principalmente debido a la dificultad de capturar a las aves durante estos periodos sin causar el abandono del nido. Por ello, empleando secciones de redes de niebla en torno a un marco cúbico de metal, elaboramos una red en forma de caja (red de caja) para capturar aves que nidifican en cavidades. Capturamos hembras de Parus major a su salida de las caja nido durante los periodos de puesta de los huevos e incubación, y medimos las tasas de abandono. Usando redes de caja, capturamos 108 de 119 (90%) hembras durante la puesta de los huevos y 10 de 12 (83%) durante la incubación. Nuestra tasa de recaptura al día siguiente para las hembras capturadas durante la incubación fue del 50% (5 de 10). Las hembras que no capturamos, salieron de