The design of artificial nestboxes for the study of secondary hole-nesting birds: A review of methodological inconsistencies and potential biases

• Autores: 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
• Año de publicación: 2010
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Cyanistes; Ficedula; Field Experiments; Flycatcher; Methods; Nest Sites; Nestboxes; Parus; Passerines; Secondary Cavity-Nesting Birds; Tit
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

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.
Fil: Lambrechts, Marcel M.. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia
Fil: Adriaensen, Frank. Universiteit Antwerp; Bélgica
Fil: Ardia, Daniel R.. Franklin And Marshall College; Estados Unidos
Fil: Artemyev, Alexandr V.. Institute Of Biology Karrc Ras; Rusia
Fil: Atiénzar, Francisco. Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; España
Fil: Bánbura, Jerzy. University Of Lodz; Argentina
Fil: Barba, Emilio. Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat I Biologia Evolutiva; España
Fil: Bouvier, Jean Charles. Unité de Recherche Plantes Et Systèmes de Culture Horticoles; Francia
Fil: Camprodon, Jordi. Centre Tecnológic Forestal de Catalunya; España
Fil: Cooper, Caren B.. Cornell Lab Of Ornithology; Estados Unidos
Fil: Dawson, Russell D.. University Of Northern British Columbia; Canadá
Fil: Eens, Marcel. No especifica;
Fil: Eeva, Tapio. Turun Yliopisto; Finlandia
Fil: Faivre, Bruno. Universite de Bourgogne; Francia
Fil: Garamszegi, Lazlo Z.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Fil: Goodenough, Anne E.. University Of Gloucestershire; Reino Unido
Fil: Gosler, Andrew G.. Edward Grey Institute Of Field Ornithology; Reino Unido
Fil: Grégoire, Arnaud. Centre D'ecologie Fonctionnelle Et Evolutive; Francia
Fil: Griffith, Simon C.. Macquarie University; Australia
Fil: Gustafsson, Lars. Evolutionary Biology Centre; Suecia
Fil: Johnson, L. Scott. Owson University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Kania, Wojciech. Museum And Institute Of Zoology Of The Polish Academy Of Sciences; Polonia
Fil: Keišs, Oskars. University Of Latvia; Letonia
Fil: Llambias, Paulo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientifícas y Tecnológicas; Argentina
Fil: Mainwaring, Mark C.. Lancaster University; Reino Unido
Fil: Mänd, Raivo. Estonian Institute Of Ecology; Estonia
Fil: Massa, Bruno. Università Degli Studi Di Palermo; Italia
Fil: Mazgajski, Tomasz D.. Museum And Institute Of Zoology Of The Polish Academy Of Sciences; Polonia
Fil: Møller, Anders Pape. Laboratoire Ecologie, Systématique Et Evolution; Francia
Fil: Moreno, Juan. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; España
Fil: Naef Daenzer, Beat. Swiss Ornithological Institute; Suiza
Fil: Nilsson, Jan-Ke. Lund University; Suecia
Fil: Norte, Ana C.. University Of Coimbra, Marine And Environmental Sciences Center; Portugal
Fil: Orell, Markku. Oulun Yliopisto; Finlandia
Fil: Otter, Ken A.. University Of Northern British Columbia; Canadá
Fil: Park, Chan Ryul. Korea Forest Research Institute; Corea del Sur
Fil: Perrins, Christopher M.. Edward Grey Institute Of Field Ornithology; Reino Unido
Fil: Pinowski, Jan. Centre For Ecological Research Of The Polish Academy Of Sciences In Dziekanów Lesny; Polonia
Fil: Porkert, Jiri. No especifica;
Fil: Potti, Jaime. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España
Fil: Remes, Vladimir. Univerzita Palacký; República Checa
Fil: Richner, Heinz. University of Bern; Suiza
Fil: Rytkönen, Seppo. Oulun Yliopisto; Finlandia
Fil: Shiao, Ming-Tang. National Taiwan University; República de China
Fil: Silverin, Bengt. University Goteborg; Suecia
Fil: Slagsvold, Tore. University of Oslo; Noruega
Fil: Smith, Henrik G.. Lund University; Suecia
Fil: Sorace, Alberto. Sropu; Italia
Fil: Stenning, Martyn J.. University of Sussex; Reino Unido
Fil: Stewart, Ian. University of Kentucky; Estados Unidos
Fil: Thompson, Charles F.. Illinois State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Tryjanowski, Piotr. Eötvös University; Argentina
Fil: Török, Janos. Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy W Poznaniu; Polonia
Fil: Noordwijk, Arie J. Van. Nioo Centre For Terrestrial Ecology; Países Bajos
Fil: Winkler, David W.. Cornell University Museum Of Vertebrates; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ziane, Nadia. Laboratoire D'ecophysiologie Animale; Francia