SETTLEMENT-PATTERNS AND NEST-SITE SELECTION OF CLIFF SWALLOWS, HIRUNDO-PYRRHONOTA - MALES PREFER TO CLUMP BUT FEMALES SETTLE RANDOMLY

Citation
Sb. Meek et Rmr. Barclay, SETTLEMENT-PATTERNS AND NEST-SITE SELECTION OF CLIFF SWALLOWS, HIRUNDO-PYRRHONOTA - MALES PREFER TO CLUMP BUT FEMALES SETTLE RANDOMLY, Canadian journal of zoology, 74(8), 1996, pp. 1394-1401
Citations number
54
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Zoology
Journal title
ISSN journal
0008-4301
Volume
74
Issue
8
Year of publication
1996
Pages
1394 - 1401
Database
ISI
SICI code
0008-4301(1996)74:8<1394:SANSOC>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
We assessed the settlement pattern of colonial Cliff Swallows (Hirundo pyrrhonota) to examine whether they avoid settling near to each other or prefer to nest in close proximity. Male Cliff Swallows occupied an d defended nests before females paired with them, and males settled ne xt to other males significantly more often than expected by chance. La contrast to that of males, female settlement was not significantly di fferent from random: females neither preferred nor avoided settling ne xt to other Cliff Swallows, nor did females select old nests on the ba sis of nest stability. Neither males nor females chose nests in the sa me order from year to year, suggesting that quality of old nests was n ot an important factor affecting settlement patterns. Male arrival dat e is related to quality in some species, but female Cliff Swallows did not select the earliest arriving males. There was also no correlation between the order in which females chose mates and male traits. All n est sites may have offered females an equal probability of success, le ading to random settlement with respect to other females, nests, and m ales.