Aromatic plants in blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus nests: no negative effect on blood-sucking Protocalliphora blow fly larvae

• DOI: 10.1111/j.0908-8857.2008.04400.x
• Publication Date: 2008-03-04T10:45:19Z
• Authors: Adèle Mennerat; Philippe Perret; Samuel P. Caro; Philipp Heeb; Marcel M. Lambrechts
• Keywords: Cyanistes

Nesting birds use several behavioural or physiological defence mechanisms against parasites. On Corsica, female blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus incorporate fresh fragments of a limited number aromatic plants in the nest cup, from end construction until fledging. Some these negatively affect bacterial growth and host location by blood-sucking mosquitoes laboratory conditions. In natural populations, Corsican tit chicks are exposed to highest levels ectoparasitic blow flies Protocalliphora spp. reported Europe. These ectoparasites can have severe negative effects on chick development survival probabilities, especially when food constraints elevated. Here we investigated populations hypothesis that brought anti-blow fly during chick-rearing stage. We predicted that: 1) amount should be related infestation intensity across nests, 2) experimental addition nests reduce intensity, 3) nestlings better physical condition where were experimentally added. No significant relation was found between intensity. Experimental did not phenotypic parameters measured. conclude used as our study population.