ABSTRACT
Experiments with artificial nests are widely used to gain insights into the behavioral and ecological factors affecting the survival of natural nests. Undesired effects on nest success may arise from variations in nest and egg characteristics (e.g., dimensions, texture, and color). Still, evaluating these potential factors is seldom considered in the design of artificial nest studies, particularly in tropical regions. We assessed the effect of two nest types (cup-shaped and dome-shaped) and two egg types (differing in size and color) on the survival of artificial nests. The egg types included smaller (22-25 mm), variously colored eggs of blue-breasted quails, Synoicus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1766) and larger (25-30 mm), white-spotted-with-brown eggs of Japanese quails, Coturnix japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1848. The experiment took place within a coastal shrubland (restinga) in southeastern Brazil, from August 16-31, 2017. This period coincides with the onset of the breeding season for most insectivorous bird species in the region. The nests were observed for 15 days to assess predation, revealing higher survival rates in dome-shaped nests than cup-shaped ones. Egg type, however, did not affect survival rates. This suggests that coastal shrubland nest survival is influenced by factors seen in other Neotropical environments, where dome-shaped nests are likewise less vulnerable to predation. Interestingly, egg color and size did not impact nest predation in this environment. We suggest that future studies on artificial nests should incorporate variations in nest types and validate the selection of egg types.
KEY WORDS:
Breeding success; dome-shaped nests; Neotropical birds; nest predation; restinga
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