Authors: Lambrechts, Marcel M.; Adriaensen, Frank; Ardia, Daniel R.; Artemyev, Alexandr V.; Atiénzar, Francisco; Bánbura, Jerzy; Barba, Emilio; Bouvier, Jean Charles; Camprodon, Jordi; Cooper, Caren B.; Dawson, Russell D.; Eens, Marcel; Eeva, Tapio; Faivre, Bruno; Garamszegi, Lazlo Z.; Goodenough, Anne E.; Gosler, Andrew G.; Grégoire, Arnaud; Griffith, Simon C.; Gustafsson, Lars; Johnson, L. Scott; Kania, Wojciech; Keišs, Oskars; Llambias, Paulo; Mainwaring, Mark C.; Mänd, Raivo; Massa, Bruno; Mazgajski, Tomasz D.; Møller, Anders Pape; Moreno, Juan; Naef Daenzer, Beat; Nilsson, Jan-Ke; Norte, Ana C.; Orell, Markku; Otter, Ken A.; Park, Chan Ryul; Perrins, Christopher M.; Pinowski, Jan; Porkert, Jiri; Potti, Jaime; Remes, Vladimir; Richner, Heinz; Rytkönen, Seppo; Shiao, Ming-Tang; Silverin, Bengt; Slagsvold, Tore; Smith, Henrik G.; Sorace, Alberto; Stenning, Martyn J.; Stewart, Ian; Thompson, Charles F.; Tryjanowski, Piotr; Török, Janos; Noordwijk, Arie J. Van; Winkler, David W.; Ziane, Nadia
Publication Date: 2010.
Language: English.
Abstract:
The widespread use of artificial nestboxes has led to significant advances in our knowledge of the ecology, behaviour and physiology of cavity nesting birds, especially small passerines. Nestboxes have made it easier to perform routine monitoring and experimental manipulation of eggs or nestlings, and also repeatedly to capture, identify and manipulate the parents. However, when comparing results across study sites the use of nestboxes may also introduce a potentially significant confounding variable in the form of differences in nestbox design amongst studies, such as their physical dimensions, placement height, and the way in which they are constructed and maintained. However, the use of nestboxes may also introduce an unconsidered and potentially significant confounding variable due to differences in nestbox design amongst studies, such as their physical dimensions, placement height, and the way in which they are constructed and maintained. Here we review to what extent the characteristics of artificial nestboxes (e.g. size, shape, construction material, colour) are documented in the 'methods' sections of publications involving hole-nesting passerine birds using natural or excavated cavities or artificial nestboxes for reproduction and roosting. Despite explicit previous recommendations that authors describe in detail the characteristics of the nestboxes used, we found that the description of nestbox characteristics in most recent publications remains poor and insufficient. We therefore list the types of descriptive data that should be included in the methods sections of relevant manuscripts and justify this by discussing how variation in nestbox characteristics can affect or confound conclusions from nestbox studies. We also propose several recommendations to improve the reliability and usefulness of research based on long-term studies of any secondary hole-nesting species using artificial nestboxes for breeding or roosting.
Author affiliation: Lambrechts, Marcel M.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia
Author affiliation: Adriaensen, Frank. Universiteit Antwerp; Bélgica
Author affiliation: Ardia, Daniel R.. Franklin And Marshall College; Estados Unidos
Author affiliation: Artemyev, Alexandr V.. Institute Of Biology Karrc Ras; Rusia
Author affiliation: Atiénzar, Francisco. Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; España
Author affiliation: Bánbura, Jerzy. University Of Lodz; Argentina
Author affiliation: Barba, Emilio. Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; España
Author affiliation: Bouvier, Jean Charles. Unité de Recherche Plantes Et Systèmes de Culture Horticoles; Francia
Author affiliation: Camprodon, Jordi. Centre Tecnológic Forestal de Catalunya; España
Author affiliation: Cooper, Caren B.. Cornell Lab Of Ornithology; Estados Unidos
Author affiliation: Dawson, Russell D.. University Of Northern British Columbia; Canadá
Author affiliation: Eens, Marcel. No especifica;
Author affiliation: Eeva, Tapio. Turun Yliopisto; Finlandia
Author affiliation: Faivre, Bruno. Universite de Bourgogne; Francia
Author affiliation: Garamszegi, Lazlo Z.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Author affiliation: Goodenough, Anne E.. University Of Gloucestershire; Reino Unido
Author affiliation: Gosler, Andrew G.. Edward Grey Institute Of Field Ornithology; Reino Unido
Author affiliation: Grégoire, Arnaud. Centre D'ecologie Fonctionnelle Et Evolutive; Francia
Author affiliation: Griffith, Simon C.. Macquarie University; Australia
Author affiliation: Gustafsson, Lars. Evolutionary Biology Centre; Suecia
Author affiliation: Johnson, L. Scott. Owson University; Estados Unidos
Author affiliation: Kania, Wojciech. Museum And Institute Of Zoology Of The Polish Academy Of Sciences; Polonia
Author affiliation: Keišs, Oskars. University Of Latvia; Letonia
Author affiliation: Llambias, Paulo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientifícas y Tecnológicas; Argentina
Author affiliation: Mainwaring, Mark C.. Lancaster University; Reino Unido
Author affiliation: Mänd, Raivo. Estonian Institute Of Ecology; Estonia
Author affiliation: Massa, Bruno. Università Degli Studi Di Palermo; Italia
Author affiliation: Mazgajski, Tomasz D.. Museum And Institute Of Zoology Of The Polish Academy Of Sciences; Polonia
Author affiliation: Møller, Anders Pape. Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique Et Evolution; Francia
Author affiliation: Moreno, Juan. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; España
Author affiliation: Naef Daenzer, Beat. Swiss Ornithological Institute; Suiza
Author affiliation: Nilsson, Jan-Ke. Lund University; Suecia
Author affiliation: Norte, Ana C.. University Of Coimbra, Marine And Environmental Sciences Center; Portugal
Author affiliation: Orell, Markku. Oulun Yliopisto; Finlandia
Author affiliation: Otter, Ken A.. University Of Northern British Columbia; Canadá
Author affiliation: Park, Chan Ryul. Korea Forest Research Institute; Corea del Sur
Author affiliation: Perrins, Christopher M.. Edward Grey Institute Of Field Ornithology; Reino Unido
Author affiliation: Pinowski, Jan. Centre For Ecological Research Of The Polish Academy Of Sciences In Dziekanów Lesny; Polonia
Author affiliation: Porkert, Jiri. No especifica;
Author affiliation: Potti, Jaime. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Author affiliation: Remes, Vladimir. Univerzita Palacký; República Checa
Author affiliation: Richner, Heinz. University of Bern; Suiza
Author affiliation: Rytkönen, Seppo. Oulun Yliopisto; Finlandia
Author affiliation: Shiao, Ming-Tang. National Taiwan University; República de China
Author affiliation: Silverin, Bengt. University Goteborg; Suecia
Author affiliation: Slagsvold, Tore. University of Oslo; Noruega
Author affiliation: Smith, Henrik G.. Lund University; Suecia
Author affiliation: Sorace, Alberto. Sropu; Italia
Author affiliation: Stenning, Martyn J.. University of Sussex; Reino Unido
Author affiliation: Stewart, Ian. University of Kentucky; Estados Unidos
Author affiliation: Thompson, Charles F.. Illinois State University; Estados Unidos
Author affiliation: Tryjanowski, Piotr. Eötvös University; Argentina
Author affiliation: Török, Janos. Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy W Poznaniu; Polonia
Author affiliation: Noordwijk, Arie J. Van. Nioo Centre For Terrestrial Ecology; Países Bajos
Author affiliation: Winkler, David W.. Cornell University Museum Of Vertebrates; Estados Unidos
Author affiliation: Ziane, Nadia. Laboratoire D'ecophysiologie Animale; Francia
Repository: CONICET Digital (CONICET). Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas