Changing nest placement of Hawaiian Common Amakihi during the breeding cycle
We studied the nesting behavior of the Common Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) from 1970-1981 on the island of Hawaii to determine if the species alters nest placement over a protracted 9-month breeding season. Birds preferentially chose the southwest quadrant of trees in which to build nests during all phases of the breeding season. It appeared that ambient temperature (Ta) was a contributing factor to differential nest placement between early and late phases of the annual breeding cycle. When Ta is low during the early (December-March) breeding period, Common Amakihi selected exposed nesting locations that benefitted them with maximum solar insolation. However, in the later phase of the breeding period (April-July) when Ta was much higher, renesting birds selected nest sites deeper in the canopy in significantly taller trees. This is one of the few documented examples in which a species changes location of nest during a breeding season, thus allowing exploitation of temporally differing microclimatic conditions.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 1993 |
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Title | Changing nest placement of Hawaiian Common Amakihi during the breeding cycle |
Authors | Charles van Riper, M. D. Kern, M. K. Sogge |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | The Wilson Bulletin |
Index ID | 70128726 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |