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41 results for “insectivorous bird”
Data from: Insectivorous birds reduce herbivory but do not increase mangrove growth across productivity zones
<p>Top-down effects of predators and bottom-up effects of resources are important drivers of community structure and function in a wide array of ecosystems. Fertilization experiments impose variation in resource availability that can mediate the strength of predator impacts, but the prevalence of such interactions across natural productivity gradients is less clear. We studied the joint impacts of top-down and bottom-up factors in a tropical mangrove forest system, leveraging fine-grained patchiness in resource availability and primary productivity on coastal cays of Belize. We excluded birds from canopies of red mangrove (Rhizophoraceae: <em>Rhizophora mangle</em>) for 13 months in zones of phosphorus-limited, stunted dwarf mangroves, and in adjacent zones of vigorous mangroves that receive detrital subsidies. Birds decreased total arthropod densities by 62%, herbivore densities more than fivefold, and reduced rates of leaf and bud herbivory by 45% and 52%, respectively. Despite similar arthropod densities across both zones of productivity, leaf and bud damage were 2 and 4.3 times greater in productive stands. Detrital subsidies strongly impacted a suite of plant traits in productive stands, potentially making leaves more nutritious and vulnerable to damage. Despite consistently strong impacts on herbivory, we did not detect top-down forcing that impacted mangrove growth, which was similar with and without birds. Our results indicated that both top-down and bottom-up forces drive arthropod community dynamics, but attenuation at the plant-herbivore interface weakens top-down control by avian insectivores.</p>
Insectivore diet and abundance determine the contribution of bird species to services and disservices in an agricultural ecosystem
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Data from: Insectivorous birds reduce herbivory but do not increase mangrove growth across productivity zones
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Decomposing an elevational gradient in predation by insectivorous birds
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Data from: Maize-field complexity and farming system influence insectivorous birds' contribution to arthropod herbivore regulation
The contribution of insectivorous birds to reducing crop damage through suppression of herbivory remains underappreciated, despite their role as cropland arthropod predators. We examined the roles of farming system crop cover pattern and structural configuration in influencing assemblage composition of insectivorous birds and their herbivorous arthropod prey across maize fields, and determined how bird exclusion affects crop herbivory levels. To achieve these objectives, data were collected across a sample of organic and conventional small-scale non-Bt maize farms in western Kenya. Assessments of abundance, diversity and richness of insectivorous birds, and abundance of their arthropod prey, were compared between organic and conventional small-scale non-Bt maize on monocultured and intercropped farms. We also employed bird exclusion experiments to assess impacts of bird predation on herbivorous arthropod abundance. Results showed that higher structural heterogeneity supported higher insectivorous bird richness, particularly under organic systems, dense trees, large woodlots and thick hedgerows. Bird abundance further increased with crop diversity but not in relation to cropping method, hedgerow type or percent maize cover per se. Conversely, herbivorous arthropod abundance and richness increased on conventional farms and those with higher percent maize cover, but were unaffected by cropping methods, tree or hedgerow characteristics. Birds' arthropod prey were more abundant under completely closed compared to open or semi-closed plots, confirming a significant linkage between birds and herbivorous arthropod suppression. In this study, we demonstrate importance of structural heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes, including diverse croplands and on-farm trees to maximize insectivorous birds' contribution to reducing crop arthropod herbivory.
Data from: Insectivorous birds and bats outperform ants in the top-down regulation of arthropods across strata of a Japanese temperate forest
<p>Birds, bats, and ants are recognized as significant arthropod predators. However, empirical studies reveal inconsistent trends in their relative roles in top-down control across strata. Here, we describe the differences between forest strata in the separate effects of birds, bats, and ants on arthropod densities and their cascading effects on plant damage. We implemented a factorial design to exclude vertebrates and ants in both the canopy and understory. Additionally, we separately excluded birds and bats from the understory using diurnal and nocturnal exclosures. At the end of the experiments, we collected all arthropods and assessed herbivory damage. Arthropods responded similarly to predator exclusion across forest strata, with a density increase of 81% on trees without vertebrates and 53% without both vertebrates and ants. Additionally, bird exclusion alone led to an 89% increase in arthropod density, while bat exclusion resulted in a 63% increase. Herbivory increased by 42% when vertebrates were excluded and by 35% when both vertebrates and ants were excluded. Bird exclusion alone increased herbivory damage by 28%, while the exclusion of bats showed a detectable but non-significant increase (by 22%). In contrast, ant exclusion had no significant effect on arthropod density or herbivory damage across strata. Our results reveal that the effects of birds and bats on arthropod density and herbivory damage are similar between the forest canopy and understory in this temperate forest. In addition, ants were not found to be significant predators in our system. Furthermore, birds, bats, and ants appeared to exhibit antagonistic relationships in influencing arthropod density. These findings highlight, unprecedentedly, the equal importance of birds and bats in maintaining ecological balance across different strata of a temperate forest.</p>
Data from: Insectivorous birds can see and smell systemically herbivore‐induced pines
<p>Several studies have shown that insectivorous birds are attracted to herbivore-damaged trees even when they cannot see or smell the actual herbivores or their faeces. However, it often remained an open question whether birds are attracted by herbivore-induced changes in leaf odour or in leaf light reflectance or by both types of changes. Our study addressed this question by investigating the response of great tits (<em>Parus major</em>) and blue tits (<em>Cyanistes caeruleus</em>) to Scots pine (<em>Pinus sylvestris</em>) damaged by pine sawfly larvae (<em>Diprion pini</em>). We released the birds individually to a study booth, where they were simultaneously offered a systemically herbivore-induced and a non-infested control pine branch. In the first experiment, the birds could see the branches, but not smell them, because each branch was kept inside a transparent, air-tight cylinder. In the second experiment, the birds could smell the branches, but not see them, because each branch was placed inside a non-transparent cylinder with a mesh lid. The results show that the birds were more attracted to the herbivore-induced branch in both experiments. Hence, either type of the tested cues, the herbivore-induced visual plant cue alone as well as the olfactory cues <em>per se</em>, is attractive to the birds.</p>
Population links between an insectivorous bird and moths disentangled through national scale monitoring data
<p>Code in support of "Population links between an insectivorous bird and moths disentangled through national scale monitoring data"</p> <p>Luke Christopher Evans, Malcolm D. Burgess, Simon G. Potts, William E. Kunin, Tom H. Oliver</p>
Data from: Insectivorous birds can see and smell systemically herbivore‐induced pines
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Data from: Maize-field complexity and farming system influence insectivorous birds’ contribution to arthropod herbivore regulation
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Data from: Insectivorous birds and bats outperform ants in the top-down regulation of arthropods across strata of a Japanese temperate forest
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Data for: Combining radio-telemetry and radar measurements to test optimal foraging in an aerial insectivore bird
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Consequences of arthropod community structure for an at-risk insectivorous bird
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Enhancing ecosystem services in apple orchards: Nest boxes increase pest control by insectivorous birds
<p>Ecological intensification in croplands aims to enhance biodiversity-based ecosystem services, helping to increase yield while reducing agricultural environmental impacts. Identifying ecological intensification tools of wide applicability and easily implemented by farmers is, therefore, an imperative. Here, we verify the efficiency of provisioning artificial nest boxes for insectivorous birds to reinforce pest biological control in apple orchards.</p> <p>The study was conducted in 24 cider-apple orchards in Asturias (NW Spain) over three years. We compared the effect of insectivorous birds between orchards with and without nest boxes occupied by different bird species, through insectivory estimates based on attack on a sentinel pest and measurements of arthropod abundance in apple trees. We also identified preys that birds of different species captured to feed nestlings.</p> <p>Bird occupancy of nest boxes was widespread, ranging 25.0-33.3% each year. Great tit was the dominant species, followed by blue tit and, occasionally, common redstart.</p> <p>Predation pressure on apple pests increased in orchards with nest boxes, as judged by the increased proportion of sentinel models attacked by birds (34.9% increase in 2018 and 41.1% in 2019), decreased biomass of tree-dwelling arthropods (-51.7%) and reduced probability of apple pest occurrence (from 57 to 40%), compared to orchards without nest boxes.</p> <p>Nesting species showed different predatory roles in apple orchards. Fewer attacks on sentinel pests but lower arthropod biomass was associated with blue tit rather than great tit. Besides, blue tit fed nestlings at a faster rate and included in their diet a higher proportion of apple pests than great tit, which preyed mostly on other herbivorous insects.</p> <p>Synthesis and applications. We demonstrated the usefulness of nest boxes for insectivorous birds in enhancing biological control of apple pests at a regional scale, identifying tit species as complementary predators of apple pests and herbivores. From the farmers' perspective, providing nest boxes in orchards may represent an efficient, easy to implement, cheap and attractive measure of ecological intensification, compatible with other actions fostering biodiversity in croplands.</p>
Data from: Canopy tree preference by insectivorous birds in shade-coffee farms: implications for migratory bird conservation
Land converted to coffee agriculture occupies >5 million hectares of what was once prime overwintering natural habitat in the American Neotropics for migrating birds. When tree canopy is retained or restored (i.e. shade-grown), coffee farms can serve as habitat refuge for wildlife. Yet few studies have examined whether canopy tree identity impacts habitat quality for biodiversity. Specifically, whether or not certain tree species are disproportionately important for foraging insectivorous birds remains unclear. In this study, we quantified bird foraging activity on 22 tree species in two Latin American Bird Friendly© coffee farms. Specifically, we conducted timed observations on focal trees to determine 1) tree preferences, 2) foraging bird abundance, 3) foraging time, and 4) species richness of birds using each canopy tree species. We found that birds did not forage randomly, and instead exhibited preferences for particular native tree species. Nitrogen-fixing Fabaceae were consistently used more frequently, supported more resident and migratory birds for longer periods of time, and supported more bird species than trees in other families. We posit that the potential mechanism contributing to tree preferences is the increase in insect abundance and diversity that provide high quality food for insectivores but do not present pest problems for coffee. Thus, tree species that support insects may provide multiple benefits for farmers in the form of bottom-up soil fertilization and top-down pest control. This study provides evidence that agroforestry land can be improved for birds of conservation concern by prioritizing canopy tree species that help birds and farm productivity.
Light and thermal niches of ground-foraging Amazonian insectivorous birds
<p>Insectivores of the tropical rainforest floor are consistently among the most vulnerable birds to forest clearing and fragmentation. Several hypotheses attempt to explain this pattern, including sensitivity to extreme microclimates found near forest borders—particularly brighter and warmer conditions. Importantly, this "microclimate hypothesis" has additional implications for intact forest under global climate change that could be evaluated through direct assessment of the light and temperature environment of terrestrial insectivores. In this study, we harness novel technology to directly quantify the light and thermal niches of 10 species of terrestrial insectivores in undisturbed Amazonian rainforest. Loggers placed on birds (N = 33) and their environment (N = 9) recorded nearly continuous microclimate data from 2017–2019, amassing >5 million measurements. We found that midday light intensity in treefall gaps (~39,000 lux) was >40 times higher than at the ground level of forest interior (950 lux). Light intensity registered by sensors placed on birds averaged 17.4 (range 3.9–41.5) lux, with species using only 4.3 (0.9–10.4) % of available light on the forest floor. Birds thus selected very dark microhabitats—the light environment was >2,200 times brighter in treefall gaps. Bird thermal niche was a function of ambient temperature as well as body temperature, which averaged >40.5 °C but varied among species. Forest floor temperature peaked daily at 27.0 °C, while bird loggers averaged 35.1 (34.5–35.7) °C at midday. The antpitta <i>Myrmothera campanisona</i> and the antthrush <i>Formicarius colma </i> used thermal conditions closest to their body temperatures, whereas leaftossers (<i>Sclerurus</i> spp.) and <i>Myrmornis torquata</i> occupied relatively cool microclimates. We found no general link between abundance trends and variation in species-specific light and thermal niches. Rather, all species occupied remarkably dim and cool microclimates. Because such conditions are rare outside of the interior of primary forest, these results support the microclimate hypothesis in disturbed landscapes. Moreover, strong avoidance to conditions that are becoming more common under climate change highlights the vulnerability of terrestrial insectivores even in the absence of disturbance and may be the reason for enigmatic declines in Amazonia and elsewhere.</p>
Data from: Impact of urbanization on abundance and phenology of caterpillars and consequences for breeding in an insectivorous bird
Urbanization can have marked effects on plant and animal populations' phenology, population size, predator-prey interactions and reproductive success. These aspects are rarely studied simultaneously in a single system, and some are rarely investigated, e.g. how insect phenology responds to urban development. Here, we study a tri-trophic system of trees – phytophagous insects (caterpillars) – insectivorous birds (great tits) to assess how urbanization influences i) the phenology of each component of this system, ii) insect abundance and iii) avian reproductive success. We use data from two urban and two forest sites in Hungary, central Europe, collected over four consecutive years. Despite a trend of earlier leaf emergence in urban sites there is no evidence for an earlier peak in caterpillar abundance. Thus, contrary to the frequently stated prediction in the literature, the earlier breeding of urban bird populations is not associated with an earlier peak in caterpillar availability. Despite this the seasonal dynamics of caterpillar biomass exhibited striking differences between habitat types with a single clear peak in forests, and several much smaller peaks in urban sites. Caterpillar biomass was higher in forests than urban areas across the entire sampling period, and between 8.5 and 24 times higher during the first brood's chick-rearing period. This higher biomass was not associated with taller trees in forest sites, or with tree species identity, and occurred despite most of our focal trees being native to the study area. Urban great tits laid smaller clutches, experienced more frequent nestling mortality from starvation, reared fewer offspring to fledging age, and their fledglings had lower body mass. Our study strongly indicates that food limitation is responsible for lower avian reproductive success in cities, which is driven by reduced availability of the preferred nestling diet, i.e. caterpillars, rather than phenological shifts in the timing of peak food availability.
Figure 1 in Diet of tropical insectivorous birds in lowland Malaysian rainforest
Figure 1. Map of Krau Wildlife Reserve, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. The reserve is represented by light grey, forest areas surrounding the reserve by dark grey, and non-forest areas by white. Map adapted from Zakaria et al. (2014).
FIG. 5 in Elevational zonation of birds, insectivores, rodents and primates on the slopes of the Andringitra Massif, Madagascar
FIG. 5. Plots displaying the percentage total representation of various feeding guilds and strata utilization for mammals with respect to the total known mammal fauna of that zone.
FIG. 4 in Elevational zonation of birds, insectivores, rodents and primates on the slopes of the Andringitra Massif, Madagascar
FIG. 4. Plots displaying the percentage total representation of various feeding guilds and strata utilization for birds with respect to the total known avifauna of that zone.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.