The effect of climate on nest orientation in the Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufus

ALEJANDRO A. SCHAAF

BIRD STUDY

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2020

0006-3657

Capsule: Within breeding season changes in nest orientation of the Rufous Hornero Furnarius rufusmay reflect responses to the local climate.Aims: To explore the effect of climate on the orientation of closed-cup nests of the Rufous Horneroat a subtropical urban site throughout its breeding period.Methods: The breeding season was divided into two periods: a cold period with low rainfall and awarm, humid period. For each period, the mean nest entrance orientation and distribution wereestimated and compared against a random orientation model.Results: A total of 42 nests were found during the first period of reproduction and 32 during thesecond period. In both cases, the mean orientation was non-random and significantly differentbetween the two periods: nests were more likely to be orientated towards the northwest in thefirst period and to the east in the second period.Conclusions: Climate variation throughout the breeding season was reflected in differences in nestentrance orientation. This could be because this species takes advantage of solar radiation toincrease the temperature within the nest during the first cold months of the breeding seasonand reduces the humidity of the nest, generated by intense rain, as the season progresses.