Title

Nest cavity orientation in black-capped chickadees Poecile atricapillus: Do the acoustic properties of cavities influence sound reception in the nest and extra-pair matings?

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2004

Publication Title

Journal of Avian Biology

Volume

35

Issue

6

First Page

477

Last Page

482

Abstract

Birds that nest in cavities may regulate nest microclimate by orienting their nest entrance relative to the sun or prevailing winds. Alternatively, birds may orient their nest entrance relative to conspecific individuals around them, especially if the acoustic properties of cavities permit nesting birds to better hear individuals in front of their nest. We measured the cavity entrance orientation of 132 nests and 234 excavations in a colour-banded population of black-capped chickadees Poecile atricapillus for which the reproductive behaviour of nesting females was known. Most chickadees excavated cavities in rotten birch Betula papyrifera, aspen Populus tremuloides and maple Acer saccharum. Nest cavities snowed random compass orientation around 360° demonstrating that chickadees do not orient their cavities relative to the sun or prevailing winds. We also presented chickadees with nest boxes arranged in groups of four, oriented at 90° intervals around the same tree. Nests constructed in these nest box quartets also showed random compass orientation. To test the acoustic properties of nest cavities, we conducted a sound transmission experiment using a microphone mounted inside a chickadee nest. Re-recorded songs demonstrate that chickadee nest cavities have directional acoustic properties; songs recorded with the cavity entrance oriented towards the loudspeaker were louder than songs recorded with the cavity entrance oriented away from the loudspeaker. Thus, female chickadees, who roost inside their nest cavity in the early morning during their fertile period, should be better able to hear males singing the dawn chorus in front of their nest cavity. Using GIS analyses we tested for angular-angular correlation between actual nest cavity orientation and the azimuth from the nest tree to the territories and nest cavities of nearby males. In general, nest cavity entrances showed no angular-angular correlation with neighbourhood territory features. However, among birds who followed a mixed reproductive strategy and nested in the soft wood of birch and aspen trees, nest cavity entrances were oriented towards their extra-pair partners. We conclude that nest cavity orientation in birds may be influenced by both ecological and social factors.

DOI

10.1111/j.0908-8857.2004.03351.x

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