Breeding microhabitat selection by great tits Parus major in a deciduous primeval forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland)

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Maziarz, Marta Broughton, Richard K.
Copyright Year	2015
Abstract	Capsule Great Tits breeding in natural cavities in a primeval forest occupied microhabitats containing larger trees, but small differences between ‘breeding’ and ‘non-breeding’ locations indicated the minor importance of microhabitat selection in nest-placement decisions.Aims We tested whether Great Tits breeding in primeval conditions used vegetation composition to choose breeding patches.Methods Great Tit territories and nest-trees were mapped in two study areas in deciduous, old-growth forest. We compared tree species composition, tree girth and condition between ‘breeding’ and ‘non-breeding’ plots.Results Great Tit territories were tightly packed, filling most of the available area. Vegetation composition in ‘breeding’ and ‘non-breeding’ plots differed only for trees that could potentially harbour Great Tit nest-cavities; ‘breeding’ plots contained larger trees. The distribution of Great Tit nests varied between years, with some ‘non-breeding’ patches in one year becoming ‘breeding’ ones in another.Co...
Starting Page	358
Ending Page	367
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.1080/00063657.2015.1050994
Volume Number	62
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://las.uni.wroc.pl/images/pracownicy/mm/doc/breeding_microhabitat_selection_by_great_tits.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2015.1050994
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article