Effects of Anthropogenic Introduction of Substrates on Egg Camouflage and Nesting Success in Ground‐Nesting Birds

• DOI: 10.1111/acv.70008
• Publication Date: 2025-03-12T09:36:10Z
• Authors: Gustavo Liñán‐Cem...; Macarena Castro; Cristina Ramo; Miguel A. Rendón; Juan A. Amat; Alejandro Pérez‐H...
• Keywords: Nesting (process); Camouflage

ABSTRACT To make many sites accessible, humans have constructed roads. New layers of different materials (pipeclay, gravel, etc.) are added to the original soil for construction unpaved roads, which in marshy areas readily used as nesting by ground‐nesting waterbirds. On other hand, disposal dredged has been a specific management strategy facilitate waterbirds order compensate loss natural habitats. The introduced substrates may differ their physical properties (e.g., colouration) from ones, affect sensory ecology animals. By modifying backgrounds, nest camouflage could be altered, and this success, case relevant conservation biology. Here, we focused on whether introduction novel might eventually success bird that is declining globally, Kentish plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus . end, analysed images nests according visual systems predators. We found eggs with respect both microhabitats was worse than ones. However, not affected egg camouflage, likely because our study community predators diverse variety locate (sight, smell), also sample sizes moderately small. As it previously shown some cases, managers planning using artificial should aware perform prospective studies effects target species.