Direct evidence for nest predation by the edible dormouse (Glis glis, Rodentia) in open-cup nesting songbirds

<p>Here we provide the first direct evidence, with the use of time-lapse video surveillance, that edible dormouse (Glis glis), depredated eggs and nestlings of two open-nesting passerine species, the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), and the common blackbird (Turdus merula) in a central European woodland. In the blackcap, we detected three predation events. In the first two cases, edible dormouse flushed away incubating/brooding females and preyed upon either the eggs or the nestlings. The third case documents egg predation on an abandoned nest. The fourth case (two files and b) documents an attempt to forage on eggs in an abandoned nest of song thrush (Turdus philomelos). Note that an Apodemus mouse brought an egg into this nest before. In the blackbird (files Case 5a,b), we document a single case of dormouse attacking a brooding female. The female and nestlings managed to escape. Our data bring another piece of evidence for dormice predation on Passerine birds and they highlight the value of direct nest surveillance for documenting rodent predatory impact on birds.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>File names match the order of the cases as desribed in the paper published in Journal of Vertebrate Biology <a href="https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.24090">https://doi.org/10.25225/jvb.24090</a>. Files labelled as "edited" contain scenes with the predations events only.</p>