Nest Building and Bird Behavior PDF
Preview Nest Building and Bird Behavior
Nest Building and Bird Behavior NICHOLAS Ε. COLLIAS AND ELSIE C. COLLIAS Nest Building and Bird Behavior PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS I Princeton, N.]. Copyright © 1984 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data will be found on the last printed page of this book ISBN 0-691-08358-4 (cloth) ISBN 0-691-08359-2 (pbk.) This book has been composed in Linotron Aldus Clothbound editions of Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. Paperbacks, although satisfactory for personal collections, are not usually suitable for library rebinding Printed in the United States of America by Princeton University Press Princeton, New Jersey To all the friends, colleagues, and assistants who helped us in our research in field and aviary on the fascinating weaverhirds TENTS List of Illustrations xi List of Tables xv Preface xvii ONE INTRODUCTION 3 Plan of Treatment—Application of Scientific Methods to the Study of Nest Building—Conceptual Approach TWO DIVERSITY OF NESTS AND MAJOR EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS IN NEST BUILDING 8 A Classification of Bird Nests—Evolution of Nest Building—Summary of More General Conclusions THREE SPECIATION AND NEST BUILDING 41 Speciation and the Evolution of Nest Differences— Implication of the Nest Site for Evolution— Speciation and Evolution of Nest Building in the Weaverbirds (Ploceinae)—Summary FOUR MATE SELECTION AND NEST BUILDING 57 Selection of the Nest Site—Nest-building Behavior in Courtship—Nest and Mate Selection in the Village Weaver—Male and Female Roles in Nest Building—Summary FIVE BOWERBIRDS, BOWERS, AND NESTS 74 Relation between Bowers and Nests—Evolution of Different Types of Bowers—Bower Decorations and Bower Painting—Gilliard's Theory of Transferral Effect in Evolution—Summary six NEST-SITE SELECTION AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 86 Adaptations to Cold in Choice of Nest Site—Nest Sites in Hot and Dry Habitats—Nest-site Selection vin — Contents in Relation to Rain and Wind—Building a Suitable Substrate for the Nest—Summary SEVEN ADAPTATIONS OF NEST BUILDING TO THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 101 Nest-building Adaptations to Cold—Adaptations of Nest Building and Nesting Behavior to Heat—Nest- building Adaptations to Daily Changes in Temperature—Adaptive Seasonal Variations in Nest Building—Adaptations of Nest Building to Floods, Wind, and Rain—Roofed Nests and Possible Protection from Ultraviolet—Some Parallels between Bird Nests and Primitive Human Houses—Summary EIGHT NEST COMPETITORS AND PARASITES 122 Competition for Nest Sites—Competition for Nest Holes and Nests—Avian Brood Parasites and Competition for Nests—Arthropod Ectoparasites in Nests—Summary NINE PREDATORS AND NESTS 142 A Classification of Nest Defenses Against Predators—Concealment of the Nest—Confusing or Deceiving Predators—Nests in Inaccessible or Relatively Safe Places—Nesting with or near Formidable Species—Multiple Nesting Attempts— Nests with Very Thick Strong Walls—Summary TEN HOW BIRDS BUILD THEIR NESTS 164 Selection of Nest Materials—Fastening the Nest to Difficult Substrates—What Holds a Nest Together— Shaping the Nest: Building by Some Representative Species—Amount of Work Required to Build a Nest—Summary ELEVEN THE ANALYSIS OF NEST BUILDING BY WEAVERBIRDS 190 Description of Nest Building by the Village Weaver—Experimental Analysis of the Stimulus Situation at Each Stage of Nest Building—Nest Destruction—Comparison of Weaving by Birds and Humans—Summary Contents — ix TWELVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEST-BUILDING ABILITY 211 Subjects—Development of Ability to Manipulate Objects—Selection of Appropriate Nest Materials— Preparation of Nest Materials—Development of Weaving Ability—Nest Form and the Development of Nest Building—Influence of the Example of Other Birds—Effects of Prolonged Deprivation of Nest Materials during Adult Life—Summary THIRTEEN INTERNAL FACTORS IN THE CONTROL OF NEST BUILDING 225 Background Information—Control of Sex Differences in Nest Building—Integration of Nest Building into the Breeding Cycle—Summary FOURTEEN THE EVOLUTION OF GREGARIOUS NESTING 245 Helpers at the Nest and Communal Building— Advantages of Building Nests near Each Other— Some Competitive Aspects of Crowding Nests— Contiguous Nests and Multichambered Nests— Summary Appendix One. Bird Families of the World and Their Nest Types 275 Appendix Two. Where to Find Photographs of Bird Nests 285 References 287 Author Index 319 Subject Index 327
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