Variation in clutch size in relation to nest size in birds

• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1189
• Publication Date: 2014-09-02T16:28:58Z
• Authors: Anders P. Møller; Frank Adriaensen; Alexandr Artemyev; Jerzy Bańbura; Emilio Barba; Clotilde Biard; Jacques Blondel; Zihad Bouslama; Jean‐Charles Bouvier; Jordi Camprodon; Francesco Cecere; Anne Charmantier; Motti Charter; Mariusz Cichoń; Camillo Cusimano; Dorota Czeszczewik; Virginie Demeyrier; Blandine Doligez; Claire Doutrelant; Anna Dubiec; Marcel Eens; Tapio Eeva; Bruno Faivre; Peter N. Ferns; Jukka T. Forsman; Eduardo García‐De...; Aya Goldshtein; Anne E. Goodenough; Andrew G. Gosler; Iga Góźdź; Arnaud Grégoire; Lars Gustafsson; Ian R. Hartley; Philipp Heeb; Shelley A. Hinsley; Paul Isenmann; Staffan Jacob; Antero Järvinen; Rimvydas Juškaitis; Erkki Korpimäki; Indrikis Krams; Toni Laaksonen; Bernard Leclercq; Esa Lehikoinen; Olli Loukola; Arne Lundberg; Mark C. Mainwaring; Raivo Mänd; Bruno Massa; Tomasz D. Mazgajski; Santiago Merino; Cezary Mitrus; Mikko Mönkkönen; Judith Morales‐Fe...; Xavier Morin; Ruedi G. Nager; Jan‐Åke Nilsson; Sven G. Nilsson; Ana C. Norte; Markku Orell; Philippe Perret; Carla S. Pimentel; Rianne Pinxten; Ilze Priedniece; Marie‐Claude Quidoz; Vladimir Remeš; Heinz Richner; Hugo Robles; Seppo Rytkönen; Juan Carlos Senar; Janne T. Seppänen; Luís P. da Silva; Tore Slagsvold; Tapio Solonen; Alberto Sorace; Martyn J. Stenning; János Török; Piotr Tryjanowski; Arie J. van Noord...; Mikael von Numers; Wiesław Walankiewicz; Marcel M. Lambrechts
• Keywords: Avian clutch size; Nest box

Nests are structures built to support and protect eggs and/or offspring from predators, parasites, adverse weather conditions. mainly constructed prior egg laying, meaning that parent birds must make decisions about nest site choice building behavior before the start of egg-laying. Parent should be selected choose sites build optimally sized nests, yet our current understanding clutch size-nest size relationships is limited small-scale studies performed over short time periods. Here, we quantified relationship between size, using an exhaustive database 116 slope estimates based on 17,472 nests 21 species hole non-hole-nesting birds. There was a significant, positive base area box or nest, this did not differ significantly open nesting hole-nesting species. The showed significant intraspecific interspecific heterogeneity among four secondary species, but also all estimates. estimated in study with more than single different only box. negatively related minimum area, less so maximum given study. These findings consistent hypothesis bird have general reaction norm reflecting size. Further, they suggest scientists may influence through provisioning boxes varying sizes.