Scientific publications

In order to succeed within the bounds of a vast breeding range, birds have to be behaviorally flexible and develop site-specific adaptations. Particularly, for the most birds a nest is a crucial thing for reproduction and degree of nest conformity to local conditions could promote reproductive success and offspring survival. On the example of four bird species of genus Sylvia (Blackcaps S. atricapilla, Garden Warblers S. borin, Common Whitethroats S. communis, and Lesser Whitethroats S. curruca) we estimated site-specific variability of nest parameters in two geographical locations - close to central parts of the model species breeding ranges on the Courish Spit of the Baltic Sea and close to the northern periphery of them in Karelia, Russia. Our research was based on the classic methods of breeding biology investigations, including measure of nest main parameters, characteristics of a construction and following fate of the every controlled nest. We found out that analyzed nests parameters varied essentially within and between different geographical locations. On the one hand, according to some parameters, nests in the northern region were significantly bigger than ones in the more southern places that seemed to be connected with the importance of increasing of the nest insulating properties in more cold regions. Although, the larger nest size also could possibly be linked with an increase in clutch size observed in the northern regions in some species. For example, in Blackcaps the clutch size in Karelia was statistically larger than on the Courish Spit. On the other hand, within the same region we registered different types of nest shapes and construction depending on the plant-substrates. Other factors caused deviations in nest shape and structure varying in different taxa will be discussed as well. Our work was partially supported by the grant of the President of the Russian Federation MK-3599.2015.4 and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research 15-05-03493_a.